WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY 3.1 MIDTERM
Historical archaeology: research that employs both archaeological materials and historical sources of
information
400-900 CE
3rd century decentralisation
4th century Barbarian attacks on limes foederati = (Germanics bounded to Rome by a treaty). Germanic
elements in roman society
c. 400 Romans withdraw from northern territories
476 End western roman empire
5th -6th - Germanic kingdoms (continental europe)
century Continuity of the church (Franks)
6th -8th - Merovingian kingdom
century Merovech: 5th c. foederatus and leader of the Salian Franks (merovingi = sons of merovech)
Childeric: (son of Merovech), first to be described rex (king),
died 481, (grave Tournai, Belgium found ring with inscription Childeric Regis)
Clovis: (grandson Merovech), united all Franks under one king -> converted to Christianity.
Clovis baptism in 496 CE
8th -9th - Carolingian kingdoms and empire
century Charles Martel: mayor of palace, de-factor ruler of Merovingian realm (not related but kind of
assigned)
Pepin the Short: (son of Charles Martel), deposes Merovingian kingdom (pope’s approval).
Becomes king in 751 CE
Charlemagne (Carolus, Charles the great): (son of Pepin the Short), crowned emperor by Pope
Leo III Christmas day 800 CE. Dies 814 -> fragmentation of empire
Dark ages; few or no written sources
Petrarch’s notion A period where ‘civilisation’ is in decline
Changes in urban - population decline
settlement - subdivision of space
- changes in functionality of space
Changes is rural - subdivision of space
settlement - changes in functionality of space:
Habitational transformation
Productive transformation
Funerary transformation
Cultic transformation
fortification
- new settlement types
----- 5th – 7th c., polynuclear (phase 1) (Peytremann reading)
dispersed, focused on roman site (includes elite residences): pars
urbana; residential quarters, pars rustica; working buildings
loosely grouped (2-5 farms)
nucleated (nuclear = close clustered)
----- 7th – 8th c.
predominantly nucleated (villages and hamlets)
functional zoning, including church/cemetery
, House types - SFB: sunken-featured building (pit house, grubenhaus)
-> sometimes raised floor; dwelling, workshop, storage
- surface construction
post-built
sill-beam (horizontal beam)
stone foundation
Rural economy - production of ceramics, iron, copper-alloys and textiles
- more localised and smaller-scale than roman period
- industrial production replaced by household/workshop production
- long distance trade
Oegstgeest 6th-8th c. five clusters of building
- evidence for long distance trade: glass vessels, beads and silver bowl from
Mediterranean. Amber from Baltic. Imported foods, grapes, figs, walnuts
and wine barrels. Raw material (not naturally there)
- leather, copper-alloy and iron working (nails and boat nails)
Germanic society
Germanic society - peasant (boer) society
- dominated by warrior aristocracy
- tribal origin, emphasis on personal relationships
- > fragmentation of socio-economic networks
free peasant obligations: military service, attending public assemblies,
maintaining infrastructure
Kings/chieftains Maintain power through:
- success in battle
- social an ritual practice, including gift-giving
- tales of great deeds, origin myths…
- kennings (synonym)
7th-9th c. changes decrease SFB
more variation in post-built structures
nucleation of settlement
increasingly central location of church
emergence larger production/exchange centres: monastic, rural
estate centres, proto-urban; emporia
Dorestad 8th c. emporium/ trading site.
- maritime network spanning the north sea, channel, Baltic and beyond
- royal control, or rise of wealthy merchant elite
- Carolingian period:
revival of (late) classical learning (roman past)
revival of art and architecture modelled on late classical period
reforms to increase uniformity of Christian faith
reforms landholdings, creating more hierarchical power structure
-> emulation late roman/byzantine architecture
- stone built, style of early Christian rome/byzantine architecture
- living quarters combined with political and religious functionality
Historical archaeology: research that employs both archaeological materials and historical sources of
information
400-900 CE
3rd century decentralisation
4th century Barbarian attacks on limes foederati = (Germanics bounded to Rome by a treaty). Germanic
elements in roman society
c. 400 Romans withdraw from northern territories
476 End western roman empire
5th -6th - Germanic kingdoms (continental europe)
century Continuity of the church (Franks)
6th -8th - Merovingian kingdom
century Merovech: 5th c. foederatus and leader of the Salian Franks (merovingi = sons of merovech)
Childeric: (son of Merovech), first to be described rex (king),
died 481, (grave Tournai, Belgium found ring with inscription Childeric Regis)
Clovis: (grandson Merovech), united all Franks under one king -> converted to Christianity.
Clovis baptism in 496 CE
8th -9th - Carolingian kingdoms and empire
century Charles Martel: mayor of palace, de-factor ruler of Merovingian realm (not related but kind of
assigned)
Pepin the Short: (son of Charles Martel), deposes Merovingian kingdom (pope’s approval).
Becomes king in 751 CE
Charlemagne (Carolus, Charles the great): (son of Pepin the Short), crowned emperor by Pope
Leo III Christmas day 800 CE. Dies 814 -> fragmentation of empire
Dark ages; few or no written sources
Petrarch’s notion A period where ‘civilisation’ is in decline
Changes in urban - population decline
settlement - subdivision of space
- changes in functionality of space
Changes is rural - subdivision of space
settlement - changes in functionality of space:
Habitational transformation
Productive transformation
Funerary transformation
Cultic transformation
fortification
- new settlement types
----- 5th – 7th c., polynuclear (phase 1) (Peytremann reading)
dispersed, focused on roman site (includes elite residences): pars
urbana; residential quarters, pars rustica; working buildings
loosely grouped (2-5 farms)
nucleated (nuclear = close clustered)
----- 7th – 8th c.
predominantly nucleated (villages and hamlets)
functional zoning, including church/cemetery
, House types - SFB: sunken-featured building (pit house, grubenhaus)
-> sometimes raised floor; dwelling, workshop, storage
- surface construction
post-built
sill-beam (horizontal beam)
stone foundation
Rural economy - production of ceramics, iron, copper-alloys and textiles
- more localised and smaller-scale than roman period
- industrial production replaced by household/workshop production
- long distance trade
Oegstgeest 6th-8th c. five clusters of building
- evidence for long distance trade: glass vessels, beads and silver bowl from
Mediterranean. Amber from Baltic. Imported foods, grapes, figs, walnuts
and wine barrels. Raw material (not naturally there)
- leather, copper-alloy and iron working (nails and boat nails)
Germanic society
Germanic society - peasant (boer) society
- dominated by warrior aristocracy
- tribal origin, emphasis on personal relationships
- > fragmentation of socio-economic networks
free peasant obligations: military service, attending public assemblies,
maintaining infrastructure
Kings/chieftains Maintain power through:
- success in battle
- social an ritual practice, including gift-giving
- tales of great deeds, origin myths…
- kennings (synonym)
7th-9th c. changes decrease SFB
more variation in post-built structures
nucleation of settlement
increasingly central location of church
emergence larger production/exchange centres: monastic, rural
estate centres, proto-urban; emporia
Dorestad 8th c. emporium/ trading site.
- maritime network spanning the north sea, channel, Baltic and beyond
- royal control, or rise of wealthy merchant elite
- Carolingian period:
revival of (late) classical learning (roman past)
revival of art and architecture modelled on late classical period
reforms to increase uniformity of Christian faith
reforms landholdings, creating more hierarchical power structure
-> emulation late roman/byzantine architecture
- stone built, style of early Christian rome/byzantine architecture
- living quarters combined with political and religious functionality
