Byzantium, Britain & the West : the archaeology of cultural identity, AD 400-650

The legacy of the late Roman western empire laid the foundations for relationships that developed and continued during the 5th to 7th century. Harris considers the role and influence of the Byzantine east in the west, following the fragmentation of the Roman Empire, to be both significant and purposeful. In this book, she discusses aspects of political diplomacy, trade and exchange, the role of the church, and the influence of the east as seen in royal tombs, textiles, and gold coins. In a surprising departure from orthodoxy and a radical new interpretation of the evidence, Anthea Harris argues that the Roman Empire, in its surviving Byzantine form, continued to shape life in the West (including Britain) at least until the 7th century A.D Anthea Harris. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 196-220) And Index.