BRONZE AGE AND IRON AGE ROUNDHOUSES IN NORTHERN FRANCE: A VIEW FROM SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Summary The expansion of development‐led fieldwork in the north of France has resulted in the recognition of circular domestic buildings of Bronze Age and Iron Age dates which share features with those in southern England. Connections across the Channel were already known from studies of pottery and metalwork, but the expansion of settlement excavation offers a new perspective. There are certain differences between the English evidence and that from France where the distribution of roundhouses did not extend far inland. The closest connections were not during the Atlantic Bronze Age when long distance trade was especially important but during the Early Iron Age when it was less intensive. Perhaps communities living close to the French coast asserted their independence from developments further to the south by strengthening existing alliances across the Channel. This is suggested by the presence of exceptionally large roundhouses on both sides of the water.