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The archaeology of the later Middle Ages is a comparatively new field of study in Britain. At a time when archaeoloy generally is experiencing a surge of popularity, our understanding of medieval settlement, artefacts, environment, buildings and landscapes has been revolutionised. Medieval archaeology is now taught widely throughout Europe and has secured a place in higer education's teaching across manydisciplines. In this book Gerrard examines the long and rich intellectual heritage of later medieval archaeology in England, Scotland and Wales and summarises its current position. Written in three parts, the author first discusses the origins of antiquarian, Victorian and later studies and explores the pervasive influence of the Romantic Movement and the Gothic Revival. The ideas and achievements of the 1930s are singled out as a springboard for later methodological and conceptual developments. Part II examines the emergence of medieval archaeology as a more coherent academic subject in the post-war years, appraising major projects and explaining theimpact of processual archaeology and the rescue movement inthe period up to the mid-1980s.Finally the book shows the extent to which the philosophies of preservation and post-processual theoretical advances have begun to make themselves felt. Recent developments in key areas such as finds, settlements and buildings are all considered as well as practice, funding and institutional roles. Medieval Archaeology is a crucial work for students of medieval archaeology to read and will be of interest to archaeologists, historians and all who study or visit the monuments of the Middle Ages. ... Read more

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In Goodbye to the Vikings, Richard Hodges uses new archaeological evidence to re-read the familiar history of the early Middle Ages. Taking his examples from the 5th to the 10th centuries, he re-examines many familiar themes, including the identity of King Arthur, the Pirenne thesis, Marc Bloch on feudalism, the significance of nationalism in early medieval archaeology and the place of the Vikings in European history. Some of the studies are wide-ranging, while others re-examine the archaeology of the monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno (Italy) in detail. The book shows how archaeology is making us appreciate the changing rhythms of early medieval Europe, especially in terms of the contacts made by traders, pilgrims and travellers. ... Read more

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More on Dark Age Europe
"Goodbye to the Vikings" is a collection of essays by Richard Hodges that updates the pioneering work that he did in the 1980s in applying archaeological data and economic anthropological theory to issues in the history of early medieval Europe.The essays were originally published as articles in various venues between 1991 and 2005.
Hodges is a major contributor to the emerging picture of early medieval Europe as an economically active and prosperous time, particularly in certain local areas such as 10th-century England.This volume is aimed at readers who already are familiar with the "conversation" on the subject of early medieval economic and political development.However, it might possibly serve also as an introduction to some of the key issues for readers who are ready to move from a more popular to a more scholarly approach to medieval history.

An in-depth and insightful study of the historical recordings of the Vikings during the early Middle Ages of European history
Goodbye To The Vikings?: Re-reading Early Medieval Archaeology by Richard Hodges (Director of the Institute of World Archeology, School of World Art Studies, University of East Anglia and Scientific Director of the Butrint Foundation) is an in-depth and insightful study of the historical recordings of the Vikings during the early Middle Ages of European history when Vikings had their largest impact as explorers, traders, raiders, and settlers. Drawing from examples of the fifth and tenth centuries, Hodges addresses such intriguing subjects as the identity of King Arthur, the Pirenne thesis, feudalism, nationalism in the early medieval history, the Viking's position in European history, and archeological findings related to Viking settlements, technologies, and culture. Goodbye To The Vikings? is very strongly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Viking culture and medieval history.
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It does what the title says
An interesting read which gives a concise history of the archaeology of Ulster from the early mesolithic to the plantation period. Loaded with useful references this is a must for anyone seriously interested in Ulster's early history. Also it has an easy to read lay out filled with plenty of relevant illustrations. My only complaint is that it needs a revision as new discoveries have been made since it first printing, never the less I found it very useful. ... Read more

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Castles were among the most dominant features of the medieval landscape, and many remain impressive structures to the present day. This work looks at castles in a new light, using the theories and methods of landscape studies. Castles are examined not as an isolated phenomenon, but in relation to their surrounding human as well as physical areas. Taking a thematic approach, the study examines a broad range of evidence, archaeological, documentary and topographical, to assess the contribution of these structures on the evolution of the medieval landscape. The imprint of castles on the human landscape was powerful and often long-lived. As imposing icons of status and lordship, castles re-shaped the landscape in the minds of contemporaries, while as estate centres and manors they were closely connected with their surrounding hinterlands. The settlement landscape was also deeply affected by castle building as their powerful aristocratic owners fostered new towns and villages, while other communities were disrupted by their construction.The types of sites chosen for castles are also examined, as are the features that often accompanied them, including churches, mills, monasteries, deer parks, fishponds and gardens. Throughout, this book challenges many of our perceptions about medieval castles and presents some new avenues for future research. ... Read more

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This survey provides an accessible and broad-ranging synthesis of existing knowledge on historic Barrhead, and will inform conservation guidance for future development. The historic town of Barrhead is situated to the west of Glasgow in East Renfrewshire. Barrhead was created in the late 18th century and grew rapidly because it was in the right place at the right time. It was close to the emerging commercial centres of Glasgow and Paisley and could rely on the Levern Water to power a booming textile industry. The valley in which the town grew also has a rich earlier history. The book identifies medieval sites and charts the development of the town from the scatter of fermtouns shown on early maps and goes on to sketch the social history of a community shaped by the industrial revolution. Barrhead was elevated to the status of a burgh in 1893. Although the textile industry was in decline by this time, the lost jobs were replaced by heavy industries. The authors look at the history and archaeological potential of key sites in the town, to inform the future management of Barrhead's heritage. This book is part of the Scottish Burgh Survey - a series designed to identify the archaeological potential of Scotland's historic towns ... Read more

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The Salisbury Plain Training Area has been in military ownership since the late 19th century. As a consequence the area has not suffered the agricultural 'improvements' or urban developments that characterise so much of the English countryside today. It remains the largest tact of unimproved chalk downland in north-west Europe, much of it now scheduled as an ancient monument in recognition of its rich archaeological landscape, and is unparalleled anywhere else in England. The archaeology bears witness to a number of major changes in land use. While extensive Bronze Age barrow cemeteries lie on the slopes of the downs, vast carpets of 'Celtic' fields were laid out in the same areas, and this agricultural landscape was in turn, superseded by one with an extensive system of territorial divisions - the linear boundaries. Perhaps the most remarkable survivals, however, are the eleven Romano-British villages that have been identified and surveyed. These are impressive sites in their own right but it is the area and chronological completeness of this archaeological landscape that makes it so important, for it is actually possible to trace the ancient landscape from one village to another.Not since the work of the 19th-century antiquarians, Sir Richard Colt Hoare and William Cunnington, has the area had such detailed analysis. Using a combination of survey techniques, this volume traces human influence on the landscape from prehistoric times to the recent military activities, and presents a synthesis of the results of recent fieldwork. ... Read more

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This volume offers a new and up-to-date synthesis of Lincoln's long history as a major city and regional capital, from prehistory to 1945. The 'City by the Pool' was a major religious centre long before the Roman invasion and from bronze-age shamans to early Baptists people have always been attracted here for spiritual as well as mundane purposes. The authors argue for the presence of a major ritual causeway of the late Bronze and Iron Age and outline the extent to which ritual monuments also contributed to the character of Roman Lincoln. They hypothesise a Middle Saxon ecclesiastical and market site, at what later became Monks Abbey, and demonstrate that High Medieval Lincoln consisted of a ring of markets laid out around a reserved enclosure, housing the religious and secular aristocracy. They also reveal unexpected evidence for an urban concentration of early Dissenting communities, and finally, bringing the story up to date, they suggest that Industrial Lincoln was an entirely new city, and one not inaugurated until the 1840s - a century later than the date usually given.This book is based on more than a hundred publicly-funded excavations and building surveys undertaken between 1945 and 2000. It surveys all aspects of city life, from housing and fortifications to the water supply and rubbish disposal. It includes a CD Rom with a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a relational data-base known as LARA (the Lincoln Archaeological Research Assessment). ... Read more

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A substantial integrated and interpretative report of the archaeological evidence for the occupation and defense of this impressive multivallate hillfort between the late Bronze Age and the Saxon and early medieval periods. Chapters examine the construction sequence of the castle, largely based on its ceramic sequence, and finds recovered from the `massacre levels' resulting from the Roman violent conquest of the fort during the 1st century AD. Production resources and residues, largely associated with metal and stone working, agricultural features and implements as well as dress accessories and domestic items are also examined in some detail. ... Read more

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EAA 112 : Dragon Hall, King Street, Norwich : Excavation and Survey of a LATE mEDIEVAL mER ... Read more

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Excavations at Stansted Airport, 1986-91. 2 Volumes ... Read more

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An examination of the history and archaeology of Northumbria, from its ancient origins, through its many political and cultural changes. ... Read more

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Francis Pryor - regular contributor on Channel 4's "Time Team" and the man behind the "Britain BC" and "Britain AD" television series - maintains that early farming in Britain has been largely misunderstood, due to a loss of contact with the countryside and failure to understand prehistoric farming methods. To redress this problem, this book reconstructs the lives of prehistoric farmers, with the author using his experience as a professional farmer to provide details on crop cultivation and flock management. Pryor also shows how, in the millennium leading up to about 700 BC, areas of lowland England developed an intensive style of livestock rearing resulting in a range of fascinating bronze, iron and gold artifacts being produced. ... Read more

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While the cereal agriculture of medieval Europe has been studied exhaustively, the pastoral resources and livestock husbandry of medieval estates have been seriously neglected.Kathleen Biddick's examination of one estate, Peterborough Abbey, during several decades before and after 1100 and the first decade after 1300, brings a new balance to the subject of the medieval economy. Her pioneering methodology and the conclusions she reaches will interest archaeologists and agricultural historians as well as anthropologists, economists, and historians of early European development.Drawing on the archival records of the abbey, an estate that straddled the "classic" open-field agriculture of the English Midlands and the more pastorally-oriented farming of the English peat fens, Biddick describes in great detail how these farmers managed their herds and consumed and marketed livestock products such as meat, wool, hides, milk, and cheese. Commitment to conserving consumption strategies did not mean that the Abbey resisted market involvement and technological innovation. Large numbers of work and cart horses indicate the estate's economic interest in speedy haulage. Cereal yields, where they are calculable, compare favorably to the high-yielding demesnes of parts of Norfolk, the most agriculturally advanced region of medieval England. By showing how the Abbey coordinated its resources to enhance diversity and flexibility, The Other Economy enlarges our understanding of agrarian lordship and political control over resources in the medieval economy. ... Read more

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This book is a dramatically told and visually stunning account of a ninth-century hermitage discovered on the South Peak of Skellig Michael, an island off the west coast of Ireland. It is the story, pieced together from fragmentary remains, study, and conjecture, of a man's attempt to live on a tiny ledge some 700 feet above the Atlantic on the outer edge of the European land mass, alone, as close to God as possible, in what is perhaps the ne plus ultra of ecstatic monastic solitude.Richly illustrated with maps, plans, and photographs that capture both the astonishing beauty and isolation of the hermitage, the text also includes reconstruction drawings of the site that combine a surveyor's accuracy with an artist's imaginative response to the hermit who found spiritual refuge on a pinnacle. ... Read more