‘Fen Slodgers' in a wetland world - identities and resilience in a dynamic environment
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2018-10-31

People’s identities are very closely linked to the environment and landscape they inhabit. When these are threatened, either by human intervention or natural causes like climate change, so are people’s identities. This is very clear in the East Anglian Fens (UK). Before their drainage in the 16th century AD, the Fens were Britain’s largest wetland; an area rich in wild plant and animal resources. These resources were extensively exploited by local communities, with some people becoming specialised ‘wetlanders’ (referred to as ‘Fen slodgers’) with their own unique identity. Their identity was closely bound to the unique environment they inhabited.
Yet the Fens had not always been wet; the Fenland Basin started out dry and only became truly wet in the Bronze Age as a result of a rising sea level. This begs the question of when and how this unique wetland identity arose. This paper aims to consider this question by tracing the effect of major changes in the Fenland landscape and environment on the identities of past communities living here. It will provide a long-term perspective on the resilience and adaptability of these communities, resulting from their intimate relation and interaction with an ever-changing and very dynamic environment. Yet this paper will also consider the negative effect of the destruction of the Fenland environment in the historic period, when demands for fertile arable land grew and distant landowners started draining the wetlands. Despite heavy protests from local wetlanders the wetland landscape disappeared and so did the Fen slodgers and their unique way of life. Thus, this Fenland case study provides insights into the close link between people’s identities and their landscape and environment which are relevant in today’s rapidly changing world, where many landscapes and communities are affected by the effects of climate and environmental change.

Author: Ms. Huisman, Floor - Durham University (Presenting author)