<P> These farms are often falsely supposed to be "peasant farms". However, a ceorl, who was the lowest ranking freeman in early Anglo - Saxon society, was not a peasant but an arms - owning male with access to law, support of a kindred and the wergild, situated at the apex of an extended household working at least one hide of land . It is the ceorl that we should associate with the standard 8--10m x 4--5m post-hole building of the early Anglo - Saxon period, grouped with others of the same kin group . Each such household head had a number of less - free dependants . </P> <P> The success of the rural world in the 5th and 6th centuries, according to the landscape archaeology, was due to three factors: the continuity with the past, with no evidence of up - rooting in the landscape; farmer's freedom and rights over lands, with provision of a rent or duty to an overlord, who provided only slight lordly input; and the common outfield arable land (of an outfield - infield system) that provided the ability to build kinship and group cultural ties . </P> <P> The origins of the timber building tradition seen in early Anglo - Saxon England has generated a lot of debate which has mirrored a wider debate about the cultural affinities of Anglo - Saxon material culture . </P> <P> Philip Rahtz asserted that buildings seen in West Stow and Mucking had late Roman origins . Archaeologist Philip Dixon noted the striking similarity between Anglo - Saxon timber halls and Romano - British rural houses . The Anglo - Saxons did not import the' long - house', the traditional dwelling of the continental Germanic peoples, to Britain . Instead they upheld a local vernacular British building tradition dating back to the late first century . This has been interpreted as evidence of the endurance of kinship and household structures from the Roman into the Anglo - Saxon period . </P>

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