SWIFT

This book is about late Western Roman archaeological finds focusing on wearable grave goods such as crossbow brooches, belt sets, beads, and bracelets. As interesting as the migration of styles and changing trends in fashions of this period are, the book fails to deliver much analysis of what these finds can tell us about the end of the Empire in the West. There are very few conclusions presented after the evidence is discussed and this was a real disappointment. The changing patterns of wearables along the Danube frontier is perhaps the only section in the book where the author clearly makes her point showing how this field of inquiry can tell us something specific about the geo-political situation at the end of the Western Empire.

The study of fashion as modeled in the archaeological record can shed some light on the end of the Antiquity and the beginnings of the "Dark Ages". However, this book does not deliver on the promise of such research.

Dr. Swift has written an excellent book that gives the reader a whole new approach at establishing changes in the last phase of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. Illustrated with colour photos and enhanced by many maps, this great book by Ellen Swift shows the changing patterns of distribution of several typical items that made up the Late Roman dress. Ranging from the Cross-bow brooches that were so typical of the military uniform to Belt-sets, Bracelets and Beads, Swift attempts to show the change of status and popularity of these items, and the reasons behind that. Her conclusions draw a picture of changing population and military concentrations, but also a new look at fashion. Though not without risk, this method is a new approach compared to the usual way of comparing finds with the available historical information, though the author is very aware of the dangers of this new approach. The only fault I could find with the book is its very limited bibliography and its lack of notes, which make it next to useless for the scholar. However, this is the publisher's (Tempus) doing, not the author's.