Archaeology and Oral History in Northumberland.

This paper is largely based on interviews collected or overseen in Northumberland by the authors since 2003. It summarizes the way in which oral history has been used by British historians and describes an evolving approach to researching the interaction between landscape and community. Focusing on stock management, the authors discuss how insight into activities carried out beyond living memory can be gained using descriptions and interpretations of landscape features provided by current farmers and shepherds. A case study exemplifies how the combining of oral testimony, historical map research, and archaeological fieldwork has made possible the verification of an historical drover's route in Northumberland. It is concluded that archaeology can be used to identify the surviving physical correlates of activities recorded in oral accounts, while oral history can enhance the dynamic interpretation of archaeological finds, interpretations that might otherwise only be assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]