The significance of recent discoveries at Chedworth Villa in Gloucestershire

It has been assumed for a long time that sub-Roman Britain, the period between the Romans leaving the island in the early fifth century and the settlement of the Anglo-Saxons in the sixth century, was a period of rapid cultural and economic decline. Recent archaeological discoveries at Chedworth Villa in Gloucestershire have suggested the need for a more nuanced view of this period. Here Martin Papworth, the archaeologist who led this investigation, explains the development of the project and the significance of its findings.