Regarded as the secondary source advocated by some scholars for this battle around Brunanburh in AD 937, Egil's Saga Skalla-Grimssonar (collated c. AD 1242-3) becomes problematical when compared with literary, historic and archaeological evidence. Thus, this argument places the saga in a rather awkward position. In addressing the general veracity of this saga, allegedly 'written' by Snorri Sturluson in 1240/1 we must draw a comparison to distinguish reality from fiction. For this article highlights not only the questionable traditions of Egil fighting at Brunanburh but whether Snorri's interpretation was motivated by self-interest. More importantly, could other people have gathered together Snorri's notes and produced Egil's Saga? Doubts arise as to its authenticity as many scholars have previously expressed the differing literary anomalies within the narrative. Was the saga written by more than one person? Was it embellished by Snorri or others? Where did the Brunanburh traditions come from? Is it accurate enough to be used as a historic source - a factual reference? The author suggests this approach may identify the incongruities within this saga demonstrating a correct analysis.

MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) undertook evaluation and subsequent excavation at Wollaston Quarry, near Wellingborough through the 1990s. These excavations took place in advance of gravel extraction on land to the north and south of Hardwater Road, Wollaston. The archaeological work found Iron Age and Roman farms arranged along a single routeway and the remains of at least two Roman vineyards. A single late 7th century grave, the Pioneer burial, lay alongside a long-lived routeway at the southern end of the quarry, close to the floodplain and any burial mound would have overlooked the River Nene. The burial was an isolated feature; the only other Saxon artefacts recovered from other parts of the quarry were limited to two scatters of pottery and two fragments of small long brooch recovered by metal detection. All were located some distance from the grave. The Pioneer burial was adjacent to the south-western corner of the later Saxon Higham Hundred boundary where it meets the River Nene. It is probable the burial had originally been within a barrow, but no evidence was found for it. Within the grave there was an individual adult of slender build probably in their early to middle 20s equipped with a boar-crested iron helmet, a pattern-welded sword, a copper alloy hanging bowl with enamelled escutcheon, an iron knife, a copper alloy clothing hook and three iron buckles. The burial contained artefacts indicative of very high status, with the early to middle Saxon helmet being at the time only the fourth to have been recovered from a burial in England.

Richard Hodges is one of Europe's preeminent archaeologists. He has transformed the way we understand the early Middle Ages, and has put the past to work for the present, through a sequence of paradigmatic excavations in England, Italy and Albania. Encounters, Excavations and Argosies pays tribute to him with a series of reflections on some of the themes and issues which have been central to his work over the last forty years. The contributors are colleagues, many his students, above all friends of the man whose ideas, example, trust, and loyalty have touched and inspired us all.

We are very lucky to have small, contemporary records of history scattered throughout our soil in the form of lead seals. With a couple of notable exceptions, they have largely been ignored by archaeologists and historians, but the recent explosion in the numbers found and recorded has helped to bring their importance and potential to the attention of those interested in our heritage. This book is intended to be a repository of the salient information currently available on the identification of cloth seals, and a source of new material that extends our understanding of these important indicators of post medieval and early modern industry and trade. It is, primarily, a guide to help with the identification of cloth seals, both those found within and those originating from the United Kingdom. Most of the extra examples, referenced beneath the images, can be quickly located and viewed through access to the internet.

In this study of the Portuguese intervention in the Manila Galleon Trade, Etsuko Miyata explores its history through a new approach: the examination of Chinese ceramics. The excavated Chinese ceramics from Mexico City shed light on the nature of Portuguese involvement in this huge sixteenth-century maritime trade network, and also help to clarify the relationship between the Portuguese and the Chinese merchants, who were considered to be rivals. The book analyzes the change of types and quantity of excavated Chinese ceramics from Mexico City over time. It references the trade depression during the mid seventeenth century, when the ceramic finds from Mexico City suddenly decreased, and the trade between Asia and America seemed to slow down; and it seeks to understand the effect on people from various social backgrounds in both regions. The study also considers the Atlantic coastal trade in Spain; this featured Chinese ceramic finds from Galician excavation sites. The author postulates a hypothesis that these ceramics did not come into Spain through the Manila Galleon Trade or via Atlantic trade with America, but from Lisbon where the coastal trade route powered a large amount of diverse commerce.

Discussed here is the landscape of western Bavaria in the early-medieval period, between about 750 and 850. The title of the study derives from several indications that a noble genealogia, the Huosi, were particularly influential there during the period. Huosiland may be the best documented European landscape of this time. This is due to the extraordinary cartulary or register of deeds prepared for the diocese of Freising by the monk, Cozroh, in the second quarter of the ninth century. The first part of the study (Contexts) describes Cozroh's codex and Huosiland and then analyzes the main political, ecclesiastical, social and economic structures and features there, based upon the available historical and archaeological evidence. The second part (Connections) explores a selection of particular issues raised by specific documents or related groups of documents from Huosiland. The third part provides all of the voluminous and highly-informative documentary evidence for Huosiland, both from Cozroh's codex and other sources, complete in full English translation. As a result, the reader is able to construct his or her own Contexts and Connections. A full annotated Bibliography of the relevant secondary literature is included as is a complete Gazetteer of the translated documents. The publication will provide a valuable resource both for advanced teaching and for scholarly research.

This book presents an overview of the results of the research project DESPAMED funded by the Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness. The aim of the book is to discuss the theoretical challenges posed by the study of social inequality and social complexity in early medieval peasant communities in North-western Iberia. Traditional approaches have defined these communities as poor, simple and even nomadic, in the framework of a self-sufficient economy that prioritised animal husbandry over agriculture. This picture has radically changed over the last couple of decades as a result of important research on the archaeology of peasantry and the critical analysis of ninthand tenth-century documentary evidence that show the complexity of these rural societies. These new records are discussed in the light of a new research agenda centred on the analysis of the emergence of villages, the formation of local elites, the creation of socio-political networks and the role of identities in the legitimation of local inequalities. The nine chapters of this book explore the potential and the limits of the archaeological record to tackle social inequality in rural communities. Those considerations have a wider theoretical and methodological potential and are applicable to other regions and chronologies. The different chapters explore local societies through different methodologies and approaches such as food, settlement patterns, social exclusion, consumption patterns and social practices. In addition, the book introduces some of the most relevant topics studied currently by Iberian Medieval archaeologists, which are not always accessible to an international audience.

Propaganda in Revolutionary Ukraine is a survey of domestic government and party printed propaganda in revolutionary Ukraine. It is the first account in English to study these materials using an illustrative sample of printed texts and to assess their impact based on secret police and agitator situation reports. The book surveys texts published by the Central Rada, the Ukrainian State, the Ukrainian National Republic, the Ukrainian Socialist Revolutionary Party, the Ukrainian Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Independentists, Ukrainian Communist Party (UCP), Ukraine's Bolshevik Party (CPU), and anti-Bolshevik warlords. It includes 46 reproductions and describes the infrastructure that underlay the production and dissemination of printed text propaganda. The author argues that in the war of words neither Ukrainian failures nor Bolshevik success should be exaggerated. Each side managed to sway opinion in its favour in specific places at specific times.

Working with Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts is a highly readable and well-illustrated guide to manuscript study for students and fledgling researchers in Anglo-Saxon history and literature.Bringing together invaluable advice and information from a group of eminent scholars, it aims to develop in the reader an informed and realistic approach to the mechanisms for accessing and handling manuscripts in what may be limited time. In addition to an exploration of the various manuscript resources available in libraries and their research potential, the book appraises recent developments in electronic resources, making it a beneficial aid for teachers as well as individual researchers working away from the location of manuscripts.The book includes a clear and comprehensive guide to palaeography and codicology. Chapters on Old English prose, Old English poetry and Anglo-Latin texts introduce readers to the whole range of written material extant in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. Manuscript art is uniquely presented in the context of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts as a whole, moving beyond traditional approaches, while the chapter 'Reading between (and beyond) the lines' demonstrates some of the fascinating detail of glosses and marginalia, and reveals how the life of the manuscript continued beyond the writing of its main text.

Since 1985, Spanish archaeology has radically improved its organisation and effectiveness, supported by law and the transfer of powers to deal with archaeology from central to regional governments. There have been many excavations on development sites in towns and the countryside, but also new studies of rural landscapes and monuments. As in other European countries, this has produced a mountain of as yet undigested information about the history and archaeology of this fascinating country over four centuries.Now two Spanish archaeologists, aided by a large number of colleagues in Spain, France, Germany and Britain, have produced the first survey in either English or Spanish of the last 30 years of investigations, new discoveries and new theories. Chapters deal with the rural and urban habitat, daily life, trade and technology, castles and fortifications, the display of secular power and all three religions of medieval Spain: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. This is a major contribution to the archaeology of medieval Europe and a handbook for archaeologists and travellers.

A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir's Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. With its scathing humor, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, Grettir's Saga is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland's epics. In addition to Jesse Byock's lively new translation, this edition includes extensive maps, genealogies, illustrations, a chronology and glossary, as well as helpful notes, an up-to-date bibliography, and thorough introduction exploring the saga in the context of other works of Icelandic and medieval literature.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The theme of this study is the large-scale exploitation of different stone products that took place in Norway during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages (c. AD 800-1500). The research is based on analyses of two different quarry landscapes in Western Norway: the quernstone quarries in Hyllestad, Sogn og Fjordane, and the bakestone quarries in Olve and Hatlestrand, Hordaland. The centre of attention is the production of utility artefacts: quernstones, millstones and bakestones, and more symbolic products such as stone crosses. The production landscapes are also assessed within wider socio-economic perspectives related to organisation, control and landownership. Following the different products, from production in the quarries to their distribution and use in both urban and rural contexts in Northern Europe, questions regarding trade and networks are addressed. The material is also discussed and assessed in wider methodological and theoretical contexts, and an aim is to illuminate the control and right of use related to the quarrying, also to examine the groups of actors behind production as well as distribution and trade.

Transformations of Identity and Society in Anglo-Saxon Essex: A Case Study of an Early Medieval North Atlantic Community presents the results of a comprehensive archaeological study of early medieval Essex (c.AD 400-1066). This region provides an important case study for examining coastal societies of north-western Europe. Drawing on a wealth of new data, the author demonstrates the profound influence of maritime contacts on changing expressions of cultural affiliation. It is argued that this Continental orientation reflects Essex's longterm engagement with the emergent, dynamic North Sea network. The wide chronological focus and inclusive dataset enables long-term socio-economic continuity and transformation to be revealed. These include major new insights into the construction of group identity in Essex between the 5th and 11th centuries and the identification of several previously unknown sites of exchange. The presentation also includes the first full archaeological study of Essex under 'Viking' rule.

The growth and development of towns and urbanism in the pre-modern world has been of interest to archaeologists since the nineteenth century. Much of the early archaeological research on urban origins focused on regions such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Mesoamerica. Intensive archaeological research that has been conducted since the 1960s, much of it as a result of urban redevelopment, has shed new light on the development of towns in Anglo-Saxon England. In this book, Pamela Crabtree uses up-to-date archaeological data to explore urban origins in early medieval Britain. She argues that many Roman towns remained important places on the landscape, despite losing most of their urban character by the fifth century. Beginning with the decline of towns in the fourth and fifth centuries, Crabtree then details the origins and development of towns in Britain from the 7th century through the Norman Conquest in the mid-eleventh century CE. She also sets the development of early medieval urbanism in Britain within a broader, comparative framework.

Epidemics and the Modern World explores the relationships between epidemics and key themes in modern history. Our institutions, colonial structures, relationships to animals, and perceptions of suffering, sexuality, race, and disability have all shaped - and been shaped by - these significant medical events. This book uses "biographies" of epidemics such as plague, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS to explore the impact of disease on the development of modern societies from the fourteenth century to the present. Drawing on the most recent science of genetics, microbiology, and climatology, this text includes "Science Focus" boxes that discuss important scientific concepts and technologies. Structured workshop sections with engaging primary sources help readers develop skills of interpretation and gain knowledge of key historical events. Epidemics and the Modern World assumes no prior experience with the history of science or medicine and is accessible for undergraduate students, while its challenging approach to the history of the modern world will engage readers of all levels and all interests.

Silver, Butter, Cloth advances current debates about the nature and complexity of Viking economic systems. It explores how silver and other commodities were used in monetary and social economies across the Scandinavian world of the Viking Age (c. 800-1100 AD) before and alongside the wide scale introduction of coinage. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach that unites archaeological, numismatic, and metallurgical analyses, Kershaw and Williams examine the uses and sources of silver in both monetary and social transactions, addressing topics such as silver fragmentation, hoarding, and coin production and re-use. Uniquely, it also goes beyond silver, giving the first detailed consideration of the monetary role of butter, cloth, and gold in the Viking economy. Indeed, it is instrumental in developing methodologies to identify such commodity monies in the archaeological record. The use of silver and other commodities within Viking economies is a dynamic field of study, fuelled by important recent discoveries across the Viking world. The 14 contributions to this book, by a truly international group of scholars, draw on newly available archaeological data from eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, and the British Isles and Ireland, to present the latest original research. Together, they deepen understanding of Viking monetary and social economies and advance new definitions of 'economy', 'currency', and 'value' in the ninth to eleventh centuries.

General Bernard Law Montgomery, affectionately known as "Monty," exerted an influence on the Canadian Army more lasting than that of any other Second World War commander. In 1942 he assumed responsibility for the exercise and training of Canadian formations in England, and by the end of the war Canada's field army was second to none in the practical exercise of combined arms. In Monty and the Canadian Army, John A. English analyses the way Montgomery's operational influence continued to permeate the Canadian Army. For years, the Canadian Army remained a highly professional force largely because it was commanded at almost every lower level by "Monty men" steeped in the Montgomery method. The era of the Canadian Army headed by such men ceased with the integration and unification of Canada's armed forces in 1964. The embrace of Montgomery by Canadian soldiers stands in marked contrast to largely negative perceptions held by Americans. Monty and the Canadian Army aims to correct such perceptions, which are mostly superficial and more often than not wrong, and addresses the anomaly of how this gifted general, one of the greatest field commanders of the Second World War, managed to win over other North American troops.

This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a 'dark age', Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300-900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons and Anglo-Saxons. Though long regarded as somehow peripheral to continental Europe, people in Early Medieval Scotland had mastered complex technologies and were part of sophisticated intellectual networks. This cross-disciplinary volume includes contributions focussing on archaeology, artefacts, art-history and history, and considers themes that connect Scotland with key processes and phenomena happening elsewhere in Europe. Topics explored include the transition from Iron Age to Early Medieval societies and the development of secular power centres, the Early Medieval intervention in prehistoric landscapes, and the management of resources necessary to build kingdoms.

King Arthur is probably the most famous and certainly the most legendary medieval king. From the early ninth century through the middle ages, to the Arthurian romances of Victorian times, the tales of this legendary figure have blossomed and multiplied. And in more recent times, there has been a continuous stream of books claiming to have discovered the 'facts' about, or to unlock the secret or truth behind, the 'once and future king'. Broadly speaking, there are two Arthurs. On the one hand is the traditional 'historical' Arthur, waging a doomed struggle to save Roman civilization against the relentless Anglo-Saxon tide during the darkest years of the Dark Ages. On the other is the Arthur of myth and legend - accompanied by a host of equally legendary people, places, and stories: Lancelot, Guinevere, Galahad and Gawain, Merlin, Excalibur, the Lady in the Lake, the Sword in the Stone, Camelot, the Round Table. The big problem with all this is that 'King Arthur' might well never have existed. And if he did exist, it is next to impossible to say anything at all about him. As this challenging new look at the Arthur legend makes clear, all books claiming to reveal 'the truth' behind King Arthur can safely be ignored. Not only the 'red herrings' in the abundant pseudo-historical accounts, even the 'historical' Arthur is largely a figment of the imagination: the evidence that we have - whether written or archaeological - is simply incapable of telling us anything detailed about the Britain in which he is supposed to have lived, fought, and died. The truth, as Guy Halsall reveals in this fascinating investigation, is both radically different - and also a good deal more intriguing.

Archaeological evidence for settlement and land use in early medieval Scottish upland landscapes remains largely undiscovered. This study records only the second excavation of one important and distinctive house form, the Pitcarmicktype building, in the hills of north-east Perth and Kinross. Excavation of seven turf buildings at Lair in Glen Shee has confirmed the introduction of Pitcarmick buildings in the early 7th century AD. Clusters of these at Lair, and elsewhere in the hills, are interpreted as integrated, spatially organised farm complexes comprising byre-houses and outbuildings. Their form has more to do with contemporary traditions across the North Sea than with local styles. There is a close link between 7th-century climatic amelioration and their spread across the hills, and it is argued that this was a purposeful re-occupation of a neglected landscape. Pitcarmick buildings were constructed and lived in by precocious, knowledgeable, and prosperous farming communities. Pollen analysis has shown the upland economy to have been arable as well as pastoral, and comparable contemporary economic 'recovery' is suggested from similar analyses across Scotland. The farms at Lair were stable and productive until the 11th century when changes, poorly understood, saw their demise.

The Lost Abbey of Eynsham will be of interest not just to local historians but to those with an interest in the development of monasticism and medieval art and architecture, particularly the Romanesque. Eynsham was one of the few religious foundations in England in continuous use from the late Saxon period to the Dissolution. Its first Benedictine Abbot was the internationally renowned scholar and teacher, Aelfric, and it was frequently visited by medieval kings given its close proximity to the royal hunting lodge of Woodstock. Hugh of Avalon, later canonised, was appointed Bishop of Lincoln at a royal council at Eynsham in 1186. Shortly afterwards the abbey achieved fame with the Vision of the Monk of Eynsham which is said to have influenced Dante. Its reputation was further enhanced when Eynsham acquired an important relic, the arm of St Andrew in 1240. In the later Middle Ages, the abbey went into decline and was beset by scandal. It surrendered to the Crown in 1538 and the huge structure was gradually demolished and pillaged for its building materials. Now, nothing remains in situ above ground. This book aims to rescue this important abbey from obscurity by summarising its history and examining the material remains of Eynsham Abbey, most of which have never been published before.

Wolfgang Capito (1478-1541) was one of the most important figures of the Reformation in Southern Germany, a leading churchman who turned from Catholic to Protestant. A professor of theology and advisor to the Archbishop of Mainz, he moved to Strasbourg and worked for two decades toward the reformation of the city, which became, after Wittenberg, the most active centre of the Reformation movement.

This volume - the second of three - is a fully annotated translation of Capito's existing correspondence, covering the years 1524-31, during which the Reformation took root in Strasbourg. It was characterized by the strenuous efforts of Capito and his fellow reformer Martin Bucer to enlist the support of the city council in establishing an evangelical church, to vanquish Catholic opponents in court, in polemical writings and public disputations. The same years also saw disputes among the reformers over the interpretation of the Eucharist. Erika Rummel's head- and footnotes provide historical context by identifying classical, patristic, and biblical quotations as well as persons and places.

This volume continues in the tradition of rigorous scholarship established by the first, providing crucial details on the evolution of Capito's thought to Reformation scholars.

"Mining in a Medieval Landscape" explores the history and archaeology of the late medieval royal silver mines at Bere Ferrers in Devon's Tamar Valley and examines their significance for mining history as a whole. Comparing their impact on the landscape with that of less intensive, traditional mining industries, this authoritative volume analyzes maps and documents together in light of recent archaeological field surveys, allowing the mining landscape to be reconstructed in remarkable detail.

What does the 'Dark Ages' mean in contemporary society? Tackling public engagements through archaeological fieldwork, heritage sites and museums, fictional portrayals and art, and increasingly via a broad range of digital media, this is the first-ever dedicated collection exploring the public archaeology of the Early Middle Ages (5th-11th centuries AD). Digging into the Dark Ages builds on debates which took place at the 3rd University of Chester Archaeology Student Conference hosted by the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 13 December 2017. It comprises original perspectives from students integrated with fresh research by heritage practitioners and academics. The book also includes four interviews offering perspectives on key dimensions of early medieval archaeology's public intersections. By critically 'digging into' the 'Dark Ages', this book provides an introduction to key concepts and debates, a rich range of case studies, and a solid platform for future research.