I've just finished reading 3 of the 4 volumes of the archaeological
report on the Anglo-Saxon site Flixborough.  I've reviewed them for a
publication and paste a slightly edited version below for your
entertainment.  In a future issue of The Heroic Age I'm hoping to have
more information and perhaps images of artifacts and/or one of the
archaeologists talk more about the site.  Without further adieu, here it is:

Back in 1989, the media was abuzz with a new find of the Anglo-Saxon era
in the parish of Flixborough in Lincoln, near North Conesby.  What was
particularly thrilling about this find was that it was the largest and
perhaps most significant collection of artifacts and animal remains yet
found for an Anglo-Saxon site.  Excitement subsided in public circles,
with only occasional announcements and updates in the British press in
the nineties.  At long last, this year's bibliography for 2007 has three
volumes of the four volume excavation report.

Excavations were carried out between 1989 and 1991 on a site next to the
village that was known as North Conesby in the later medieval period.
The village was located on a sandy bank overlooking the River Trent's
floodplain just south of the Humber estuary.  For the Anglo-Saxon
period, the site was occupied from the seventh through the eleventh
centuries and beyond and yields a significant amount information on
Anglo-Saxon daily life.  Some forty buildings and other structures were
identified; but most interestingly was the large refuse deposits that
yielded a substantial number of artifacts and other kinds of remains,
particularly animal bones.  The large body of evidence on which to draw
allowed the archaeological team to observe the changes in the nature of
occupation over the Anglo-Saxon period.  The site is not mentioned in
any Anglo-Saxon period sources until the Norman Domesday Book entry
making all the information about the site archaeological.

Perhaps the best way to look at this material is to start with the
discernible periods.  The earliest for our purposes is the late seventh
through early ninth centuries.  During this period, the use of the space
in terms of building and building location, where trash was deposited,
and other such considerations remained the same over the period.  Two
activities seem to define this period:: feasting and hunting.  On the
feasting end, multiple glass drinking vessels were recovered from within
the buildings from the eighth century layer.  Most of these seem to have
been imports from Francia, the Rhineland, or Belgium and to be part of
feasting kits.  The fact that they were found within the buildings
suggests that they were not special use items, but used by the
inhabitants and occupants of the buildings.  Related to the issue of
feasting, the use of cattle for food was at its highest during this
period as evidenced by the number of bones and remains exhibiting
evidence of butchering.  Further, these cattle were the largest cattle
for the entire occupational spectrum.  Comparing these cattle with other
remains at other Anglo-Saxon sites for the same period shows that the
cattle at Flixborough were larger than those elsewhere in England at the
time.  This has suggested that they were perhaps breeding stock imported
from the continent.

Related to these matters is the evidence of hunting and the consumption
of game.  There are multiple wild species represented here.  Among the
more interesting is the evidence of bottle-nosed dolphins being
consumed; moreover, that the remains indicate that they dolphins were
for the most part caught and butchered elsewhere and only the choicest
parts shipped to Flixborough. In addition, mammal species represented
include roe deer, pine marten, and hare.  Wild fowl species include
cranes, wild geese, ducks, and black grouse.  Of these, cranes,
dolphins, and deer were particularly favored in early medieval society
as feast food.

Taken together the evidence points to a high status presence at the
site; the signs of imports, feasting equipment and feast foods, hunting
of particular kinds all indicate that the site was home at least some of
the time to some part of the Anglo-Saxon elite.

Artisans were also at work in the settlement, though somewhat limited in
comparison to later periods.  Wood-working, black-smithing, textiles,
and non-ferrous smithing were all present, apparently supporting daily
life as well as an elite lifestyle.

It is in this context that a discussion occurs in volume 4 suggesting
that the site may have been the home or sometime home of the royal
family of Lindsey in the seventh and early eighth centuries, a family
that even when Lindsey ceased to be an independent entity would have
continued to be of some importance in the region.

Moving into the ninth century, life in the village changed
significantly.  The buildings were changed for one thing: the locations
of buildings in the eighth century continued to be used, by the original
buildings were replaced by smaller ones and additional small buildings
were added.  Artisan activity increased significantly as witnessed by
the increase in tools and accoutrement of various crafts, especially
spinning and weaving tools.  Non-ferrous metal working also increased in
both quantity and range and variety of product.  While the eight century
showed evidence of contacts in trade on the continent, the ninth century
displays few such contacts, but rather the site seems to have become
significantly integrated into the local area networks of the Humber and
Humber estuary, the east coastal villages, and East Midlands.  Pottery
was imported from English sources, largely Ipswich.  Sheep replaced
cattle as the most commonly attested domesticated animal.  In addition a
literate element seems to have been introduced into the settlement:
styli were found along with inscribed artifacts.  This has suggested to
some the presence of a monastic element, perhaps even the whole site had
become a monastery suggesting a reason for the change in buildings
mentioned previously.  Others, including Loveluck, argue that the
evidence for literacy is strong, but that evidence is not unambiguous in
terms of indicating a monastic community rather than a secular one.
Thus, from the eighth century's focus on an elite feasting community,
the ninth century remains indicate a busy, artisanal community.

The late ninth-early tenth century period is the poorest in the site's
history.  Like earlier in the ninth century, there is little evidence of
the consumption of the eight century.  Likewise, there is a significant
decrease in the activity of the craftsman from earlier in the ninth
century as well.  All such activity seems to have dropped to the level
of supporting only the locals with nothing left over to sell further
afield.  After the 870s, no further coinage was found until later in the
tenth century.  No goods from the continent, and none that could be
identified positively from other markets was found in this period.  This
suggests a low-status, poor village during this period.

Finally, the tenth century saw the fortunes of the village change again.
  The small buildings of the ninth century were destroyed and the
largest buildings of the occupation sequence built.  There was
conspicuous use of local resources: timber, domesticated animals, and
wild animals.  Evidence of craftsmen was a bit limited but iron smelting
was done there at this period in addition to the black-smithing.  It is
difficult in this period to discern the village's place within the
economic networks of England.  Nonetheless, there is evidence of
imported goods, however limited.

Volumes one and two as their titles indicate undertake detailed
description of their topic. Thus, volume two for example discusses all
matters dealing with the environment including topography, animal
husbandry, grains grown, exploitation of resources, and so on.  Because
many of the same people are contributing to the three volumes, there
tends at some points to be repetition of material; this is not a
negative since there is so much to absorb, this repetition is sometimes
a most welcome feature.  For the non-specialist, the fourth volume gives
an overview of the work on the site, summarizing the material in volumes
one and two and what will come in volume three, suggests an historical
context in so far as that can be carried, and contains an entire chapter
of conclusions.  But the volume does assume in some cases familiarity
with the more detailed presentation in previous volumes.

Accompanying the text are maps of various sizes, images of artifacts and
environment, charts, graphs, and building plans.  Each volume contains a
bibliography, and while there is some overlap, each volume does tailor
the bibliography to the subjects covered in that volume.  Also in each
volume are a collection of color plates at the back of artifacts and
related materials to the text in question.  It is good to have this text
in print and to find out in detail the results of this find from two
decades ago now.  It remains to be seen how this will aid in writing or
rewriting Anglo-Saxon history.