Archaeology, Economy, and Society

This book examines the contribution of archaeology to the study of the social, economic, religious, and other developments in England from the end of the Roman period at the start of the fifth century to the beginnings of the Renaissance at the end of the fifteenth century. The first edition of the book was published in 1990, and remains the only synthesis of the whole spectrum of medieval archaeology. This new edition is completely rewritten and extended, but uses the same chronological approach to investigate how society and economy evolved. It draws on a wide range of new data, derived from excavation, investigation of buildings, metal-detection, and scientific techniques. It examines the social customs, economic pressures, and environmental constraints within which people functioned; the technology available to them; and how they expressed themselves, for example in their houses, their burial customs, their costume, and their material possessions such as pottery. Their adaptation to new circumstances, whether caused by human factors such as the re-emergence of towns or changing taxation requirements, or by external ones such as volcanic activity or the Black Death, is explored throughout each chapter. The new edition of Archaeology, Economy, and Society will be essential reading for students and researchers of the archaeology of Medieval England.

David A. Hinton is an Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of Southampton. He is a former editor of the journal Medieval Archaeology, published by the Society for Medieval Archaeology, of which he is an Honorary Vice-President. He served as President of the Royal Archaeological Institute from 2013 to 2016. His published work includes Gold and Gilt, Pots and Pins (Oxford University Press, 2005), which reflected his specialist interest in medieval artefacts. He has also written numerous articles on topics such as cemeteries, churches, houses, and sculptures.

Introduction; 1. The Fifth Century: Living Without the Legions; 2. The Sixth Century: Adjusting to Change; 3. The Seventh Century: Kings, Christianity, and Commerce; 4. The Eighth Century: Surpluses and Subjections; 5. The Ninth Century: Kings and Vikings; 6. The Tenth Century: Towns and Trade in Troubled Times; 7. The Eleventh Century: Conquests and their Consequences; 8. The Twelfth Century: Community and Constraint; 9. The Thirteenth Century: Magnates, Money, and Obligations; 10. The Fourteenth Century: Dearth and Death; 11. The Fifteenth Century: Living in Reduced Circumstances; References; Index