Session: #236

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
6. Contested Pasts & Presents
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
Early Medieval Towns in Europe: Between Legacy of the Roman Empire and "Barbarian" Culture?
Content:
As a result of excavations that have been conducted throughout Europe during the past 40 to 50 years, urban archaeology has increasingly revealed the transformation of urban space between the 4th and 11th centuries CE. In the territory of the Western Empire where classic Roman towns predominated, archaeologists have observed important changes that took place more or less rapidly, principally during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. They include: the progressive abandonment of construction in stone in favor of building with wood and turf which can be more difficult to interpret, the reuse of construction materials, public spaces and amenities that are poorly maintained or abandoned (such as roads, squares, and aqueducts), the development of episcopal centers or new settlements around certain suburban basilicas, the replacement of habitation or industrial areas with cemeteries, and the adoption of new ways of life that can be difficult to identify in the thick deposits of the “dark earth”, etc. Although these issues are well known and have been treated in many publications, comparisons between different countries and regions are needed in order for them to be better understood. The goal of this session will be to compare territories within and outside the Roman Empire from the same period in order to identify their similarities and differences. Identifying these similarities and differences will allow us to distinguish antique survivals from the contributions of Germanic or “barbarian” societies to the development of early medieval towns.
Synthetic contributions, on a regional or national scale, are requested, rather than reports on individual sites. These contributions could focus on general characteristics of urban spaces or on certain aspects of urban organization and topography (such as roads, houses, cemeteries, etc.) or on the archaeological evidence that can reveal new ways of life.
Keywords:
Late Antiquity, Early Middle Ages, Urban Archaeology, Transformation, Townscape, Artefacts
Session associated with MERC:
yes
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Elisabeth Lorans (France) 1
Co-organisers:
Pamela Crabtree (United States) 2
Bastien Lefebvre (France) 3
Affiliations:
1. University of Tours
2. New-York University
3. University of Toulouse