Reflections: 50 Years of Medieval Archaeology, 1957-2007

Published for the Society for Medieval Archaeology

Society for Medieval Archaeology Monographs, Volume 30

This volume celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Society for Medieval Archaeology (established in 1957), presenting reflections on the history, development and future prospects of the discipline. The papers are drawn from a series of conferences and workshops that took place in 2007-2008, in addition to a number of contributions that were commissioned especially for the volume. They range from personal commentaries on the history of the Society and the growth of the subject, to historiographical, regional and thematic overviews of major trends in the evolution and current practice of medieval archaeology in Britain. Critical overviews are presented of the archaeology of medieval landscapes, buildings and material culture; new developments in the scientific study of medieval health, diet and materials; and innovations in social approaches to medieval archaeology. A series of papers on southern Europe provide a comparative perspective, featuring overviews on medieval archaeology in Italy, Spain and southeastern Europe.

Contents

Introduction
‘The Elephant in the Room’ and Other Tales of Medieval Archaeology
By Roberta Gilchrist and Andrew Reynolds

PART I – 50 YEARS OF MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Chapter 1
The Foundation and Early Years of the Society for Medieval Archaeology
By David M Wilson
Chapter 2
The Society for Medieval Archaeology: The Early Years (1956–62)
By Christopher Gerrard
Chapter 3
Milestones in Medieval Archaeology over the Last 50 Years
By Rosemary Cramp
Chapter 4
Looking to the Future of Medieval Archaeology
By Mark Gardiner and Stephen Rippon

PART II – REGIONAL TRADITIONS IN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Chapter 5
Tribes and Territories, People and Places: 50 Years of Medieval Archaeology in Britain
By Christopher Gerrard
Chapter 6
Ethnicity and Archaeology in Later Medieval Ireland: The Challenge of the Gael
By Niall Brady
Chapter 7
Medieval Archaeology in Italy: From Prehistory to the Present Day
By Andrea Augenti
Chapter 8
Italian Medieval Archaeology: Recent Developments and Contemporary Challenges
By Gian Pietro Brogiolo
Chapter 9
Medieval Archaeology in Spain
By Juan Antonio Quiros Castillo
Chapter 10
Medieval Archaeology in South-eastern Europe
By Florin Curta

PART III – MEDIEVAL LANDSCAPES, SETTLEMENTS AND MATERIAL CULTURE
Chapter 11
Understanding the Medieval Landscape
By Stephen Rippon
Chapter 12
Archaeology and Towns
By Grenville Astill
Chapter 13
Housing Culture: Scandinavian Perspectives
By Else Roesdahl
Chapter 14
Material Concerns: Non-Ceramic Finds c1050–1500
By Geoff Egan

PART IV – SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES ON MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Chapter 15
Health and Welfare in Medieval England: The Human Skeletal Remains Contextualized
By Charlotte Roberts
Chapter 16
Investigating Medieval Diet and Society by Stable Isotope Analysis of Human Bone
By Gundula Muldner
Chapter 17
Animals, The Bones of Medieval Society
By Naomi Sykes
Chapter 18
Emerging from the Appendices: The Contribution of Scientific Examination and Analysis to Medieval Archaeology
By Justine Bayley and Jacqui Watson

PART V – SOCIAL APPROACHES TO MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Chapter 19
Medieval Archaeology and Theory: A Disciplinary Leap of Faith
By Roberta Gilchrist
Chapter 20
Meaningful Landscapes: An Early Medieval Perspective
By Andrew Reynolds
Chapter 21
The Medieval Aristocracy and the Social Uses of Space
By Martin Hansson
Chapter 22
Medieval Identity Issues
By David A Hinton
Chapter 23
Burial, Belief and Identity in Later Anglo-Saxon England
By D M Hadley
Chapter 24
Making the Past Present: Cinematic Narratives of the Middle Ages
By Mark A Hall

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