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Fortified Settlements in Early Medieval Europe

Defended Communities of the 8th-10th Centuries

Neil Christie editor Hajnalka Herold editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxbow Books

Published:17th Jul '16

Should be back in stock very soon

Fortified Settlements in Early Medieval Europe cover

Twenty-three contributions by leading archaeologists from across Europe explore the varied forms, functions and significances of fortified settlements in the 8th to 10th centuries AD. These could be sites of strongly martial nature, upland retreats, monastic enclosures, rural seats, island bases, or urban nuclei. But they were all expressions of control - of states, frontiers, lands, materials, communities - and ones defined by walls, ramparts or enclosing banks. Papers run from Irish cashels to Welsh and Pictish strongholds, Saxon burhs, Viking fortresses, Byzantine castra, Carolingian creations, Venetian barricades, Slavic strongholds, and Bulgarian central places, and coverage extends fully from north-west Europe, to central Europe, the northern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Strongly informed by recent fieldwork and excavations, but drawing also where available on the documentary record, this important collection provides fully up-to-date reviews and analyses of the archaeologies of the distinctive settlement forms that characterised Europe in the Early Middle Ages.

The inclusion of studies and authors from across Europe allows a discussion of similarities and differences within these settlements… The volume itself is produced to a very high standard, with many illustrations and diagrams to complement the text. * Ulster Archaeological Society Newsletter *
…a wide-ranging but coherent valuable collection on defended settlements, their contexts and their environments in the early Middle Ages, which will certainly be the starting point for further studies on the topic. * Landscape History *
In conclusion, I consider that this volume makes an essential contribution to knowing how to organize the defense of settlements from the early medieval period in various regions of Europe. At the same time, these discussions lead to continuation, diversification and expansion research on fortifications at the end of the first millennium. * Plural. Culture. History. Society. *
This important book fills a substantial scholarly gap...I really enjoyed reading all the papers- an experience which gave me massive food for thought and new ideas. * Medieval Archaeology *
This book is very well illustrated, often in colour, and the editing is excellent... Overall, it is an interesting volume which brings much new archaeological research and excavation to the fore and provides a critical assessment of our current understanding of early medieval fortified sites across most of Europe. It frequently demonstrates that long-held interpretations based largely on the written evidence are outmoded as the archaeology presents an increasingly complex picture. This emerging evidence offers a valuable opportunity for further comparative research on these over-arching themes in the future. * Archaeological Journal *
Unquestionably, the reviewed volume brings a wealth of findings about strongholds in the North and South of our continent. * Acta Archaeologica Carpathica *
The book is meticulously edited, adequately illustrated, and neatly produced. It will serve as an inspiration and a reference for students and researchers for years to come. It will do much to restore early medieval fortified sites--and their communities--as a hotspot of archaeological research. * The Medieval Review *
The publication provides an excellent and, in many respects, new overview of early medieval fortifications at the junction between early historic fortified settlements and the emergence of the medieval castle. * Francia Recensio *
I find the book very useful and very much needed for ongoing academic research. * European Journal of Archaeology *
All articles contain helpful summaries that allow a quick overview and quickly reveal the essentials.Therefore, the book fulfills its task [...] to provide a kind of overview of current research on the so-called 'fortified' settlements so typical of the 8th to 10th centuries. [translated from German] * Germania *

ISBN: 9781785702358

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

352 pages