Theme:
4. Polis, Empire, League and Beyond – Living in Interconnected Societies
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Dark Horse – Archaeologies of Horses and Horse Culture in the Middle Ages
Content:
The warhorse was the most iconic animal of the Middle Ages. As distinctive symbols of status, horses were central to the aristocratic image and closely bound up with concepts of knighthood and chivalry across a wide geographic area. As weapons of war, bred for strength and stamina, warhorses contributed crucially to the rise and fall of empires. But while the development and military use of the warhorse has been intensively studied by historians, the archaeological evidence is too often dispersed, overlooked or undervalued. However, to fully understand the cultural significance and functional role of the medieval warhorse, a systematic study of the full range of archaeological evidence for warhorses (and horses more generally) from medieval sites across Europe and beyond is necessary. More importantly, it is crucial to integrate the various disciplines and lines of evidence to comprehend the multifaceted socio-economic value of medieval (war)horses.
Similarly, this session aims to bring together researchers from a variety of disciplines to explore this important species, its material culture and impact on human history. We will present findings from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Warhorse Project as well as the European Research Council-funded Pegasus Project, looking at zooarchaeological and genetic evidence as well as equestrian equipment and breeding landscapes. While our focus is on the European experience, we would like to invite papers from around the world to complement our research. We especially welcome contributions that highlight the impact of horses as active agents. The horse in the medieval (or equivalent) period and its role in military and society stands at the centre of this session, without disciplinary restrictions.
Keywords:
Middle Ages, horses, warhorse, zooarchaeology, material culture, genetics
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Helene Benkert (United Kingdom) 1
Co-organisers:
Ludovic Orlando (France) 2,3
Oliver Creighton (United Kingdom) 1
Alan Outram (United Kingdom) 1
Robert Liddiard (United Kingdom) 4
Affiliations:
1. University of Exeter
2. Centre for Anthropobiology & Genomics of Toulouse (CAGT)
3. CNRS UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier
4. University of East Anglia
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