Fifty Early Medieval Things : Materials of Culture in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

__Fifty Early Medieval Things__ introduces readers to the material culture of late antique and early medieval Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. Ranging from Iran to Ireland and from Sweden to Tunisia, Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, and Paolo Squatriti present fifty objects—artifacts, structures, and archaeological features—created between the fourth and eleventh centuries, an ostensibly "Dark Age" whose cultural richness and complexity is often underappreciated. Each thing introduces important themes in the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the postclassical era. Some of the things, like a simple ard (plow) unearthed in Germany, illustrate changing cultural and technological horizons in the immediate aftermath of Rome's collapse; others, like the Arabic coin found in a Viking burial mound, indicate the interconnectedness of cultures in this period. Objects such as the Book of Kells and the palace-city of Anjar in present-day Jordan represent significant artistic and cultural achievements; more quotidian items (a bone comb, an oil lamp, a handful of chestnuts) belong to the material culture of everyday life. In their thing-by-thing descriptions, the authors connect each object to both specific local conditions and to the broader influences that shaped the first millennium AD, and also explore their use in modern scholarly interpretations, with suggestions for further reading. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Fifty Early Medieval Things demonstrates how to read objects in ways that make the distant past understandable and approachable. Fifty Early Medieval Things -1 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 18 Part I. Things of the Fourth Century 50 1. The Ceremonial Regalia of Emperor Maxentius (?), Rome 52 2. Circus Races Mosaic Pavement, Villa del Casale, Sicily 56 3. African Red Slip Bowl, Tunisia 60 4. Gold-Glass Medallion, Rome 64 Part II. Things of the Fifth Century 66 5. Ivory Diptych of Stilicho, Italy 68 6. The Triple Walls, Constantinople 72 7. The Hormizd Plate, Persia 76 Part III. Things of the Sixth Century 80 8. The Vienna Dioscurides, Fol. 70v–71r, Constantinople 82 9. The Senigallia Medallion, Italy 86 10. The Arian Baptistery, Ravenna, Italy 90 11. The Basilica of SS. Cosma e Damiano, Rome 94 12. Chestnuts from Monte Barro, Italy 98 13. The Madaba Map Mosaic, Church of St. George, Madaba, Jordan 102 14. The City of Recopolis, Spain 106 15. Sunken Featured Building from West Stow, England 110 Part IV. Things of the Seventh Century 112 16. The Reliquary Casket of Teuderic, Agaune, Switzerland 114 17. Stirrups, Hungary 118 18. The Coşovenii de Jos Bow Fibula, Coşovenii de Jos, Romania 122 19. Pilgrims’ Flask (Ampulla) from the Shrine of St. Menas, Abu Mina, Egypt 126 20. Sutton Hoo, Mound 1 Ship Burial, Sutton Hoo, England 130 21. “Globular” Amphora from the Yassiada Shipwreck, Yassiada, Turkey 134 22. Bone Comb from Lombard Italy, Santo Stefano, Garlate 138 23. The Crown of Recceswinth, Spain 142 24. The Tunic of Balthild (Chasuble de Chelles), France 146 25. Papyrus Account Register (P. Ness. 92), Nessana, Israel 150 Part V. Things of the Eighth Century 154 26. The Dabergotz Ard, Dabergotz, Germany 156 27. The Palace-City of ʿAnjar, Lebanon 160 28. Umayyad Bronze Brazier, al-Fudayn, Jordan 164 29. Oil Lamp, Jerash, Jordan 168 30. Skellig Michael Monastery, Ireland 172 31. Offa’s Dyke, England/Wales 176 32. The Palace of Arechis, Salerno, Italy 180 33. The Ribat at Monastir, Tunisia 184 34. Bowl 21, Nagyszentmiklós/Sânnicolau Mare Treasure, Romania 188 Part VI. Things of the Ninth Century 192 35. Sword from Dorestad, The Netherlands 194 36. The Book of Kells, Fol. 7v, Virgin and Child, Ireland 198 37. Gold Ring from the Fortified Settlement of Pliska, Bulgaria 202 38. The Bell of Canino, Italy 206 39. Forum Ware Pitcher, Rome 210 40. The Utrecht Psalter, Fol. 49v, Depicting Psalm 84, France 214 41. Carolingian Silver Denarius, France 218 42. The Gokstad Ship, Gokstad, Norway 222 Part VII. Things of the Tenth Century 224 43. Abbasid (Samanid) Dirham, Birka, Sweden 226 44. Castellum and Villa of Karlburg am Main, Germany 230 45. The Church of the Holy Cross, Akdamar, Turkey 234 46. The Middleton Cross B/2, Middleton, England 238 47. The Al-Mughīra Pyxis, Spain 242 48. Beatus of San Salvador de Tábara, Fol. 341r, Tábara, Spain 246 49. Lead Seal of Demetrius, Kommerkiarios of Seleukeia, Silifke, Turkey 250 50. The Hippodrome Fresco in the Church of St. Sophia, Kiev, Ukraine 254 Index 258 This important book [...] is a helpful guide to thinking with things and teaching with things. Each entry challenges the reader to approach objects as historical actors that can speak to the changes and continuities of life in the late antique and early medieval world. ― Early Medieval Europe Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Fifty Early Medieval Things demonstrates how to read objects in ways that make the distant past understandable and approachable. Fifty Early Medieval Things introduces readers to the material culture of late antique and early medieval Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. Ranging from Iran to Ireland and from Sweden to Tunisia, Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, and Paolo Squatriti present fifty objects—artifacts, structures, and archaeological features—created between the fourth and eleventh centuries, an ostensibly "Dark Age" whose cultural richness and complexity is often underappreciated. Each thing introduces important themes in the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the postclassical era. Some of the things, like a simple ard (plow) unearthed in Germany, illustrate changing cultural and technological horizons in the immediate aftermath of Rome's collapse; others, like the Arabic coin found in a Viking burial mound, indicate the interconnectedness of cultures in this period. Objects such as the Book of Kells and the palace-city of Anjar in present-day Jordan represent significant artistic and cultural achievements; more quotidian items (a bone comb, an oil lamp, a handful of chestnuts) belong to the material culture of everyday life. In their thing-by-thing descriptions, the authors connect each object to both specific local conditions and to the broader influences that shaped the first millennium AD, and also explore their use in modern scholarly interpretations, with suggestions for further reading. "Fifty Early Medieval Things introduces readers to the material culture of late antique and early medieval Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. Ranging from Iran to Ireland and from Sweden to Tunisia, Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, and Paolo Squatriti present fifty objects--artifacts, structures, and archaeological features--created between the fourth and eleventh centuries, an ostensibly "Dark Age" whose cultural richness and complexity is often underappreciated. Each thing introduces important themes in the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the postclassical era. Some of the things, like a simple ard (plow) unearthed in Germany, illustrate changing cultural and technological horizons in the immediate aftermath of Rome's collapse; others, like the Arabic coin found in a Viking burial mound, indicate the interconnectedness of cultures in this period. Objects such as the Book of Kells and the palace-city of Anjar in present-day Jordan represent significant artistic and cultural achievements; more quotidian items (a bone comb, an oil lamp, a handful of chestnuts) belong to the material culture of everyday life. In their thing-by-thing descriptions, the authors connect each object to both specific local conditions and to the broader influences that shaped the first millennium AD, and also explore their use in modern scholarly interpretations, with suggestions for further reading. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Fifty Early Medieval Things demonstrates how to read objects in ways that make the distant past understandable and approachable." -- Publisher's description

Fifty Early Medieval Things introduces readers to the material culture of late antique and early medieval Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. Ranging from Iran to Ireland and from Sweden to Tunisia, Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, and Paolo Squatriti present fifty objects—artifacts, structures, and archaeological features—created between the fourth and eleventh centuries, an ostensibly "Dark Age" whose cultural richness and complexity is often underappreciated. Each thing introduces important themes in the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the postclassical era.

Some of the things, like a simple ard (plow) unearthed in Germany, illustrate changing cultural and technological horizons in the immediate aftermath of Rome's collapse; others, like the Arabic coin found in a Viking burial mound, indicate the interconnectedness of cultures in this period. Objects such as the Book of Kells and the palace-city of Anjar in present-day Jordan represent significant artistic and cultural achievements; more quotidian items (a bone comb, an oil lamp, a handful of chestnuts) belong to the material culture of everyday life. In their thing-by-thing descriptions, the authors connect each object to both specific local conditions and to the broader influences that shaped the first millennium AD, and also explore their use in modern scholarly interpretations, with suggestions for further reading. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Fifty Early Medieval Things demonstrates how to read objects in ways that make the distant past understandable and approachable.

Fifty Early Medieval Things' introduces readers to the material culture of late antique and early medieval Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. Ranging from Iran to Ireland and from Sweden to Tunisia, Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, and Paolo Squatriti present fifty objects-artifacts, structures, and archaeological features-created between the fourth and eleventh centuries, an ostensibly "Dark Age" whose cultural richness and complexity is often underappreciated. Each thing introduces important themes in the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the postclassical era. 0Some of the things, like a simple ard (plow) unearthed in Germany, illustrate changing cultural and technological horizons in the immediate aftermath of Rome's collapse; others, like the Arabic coin found in a Viking burial mound, indicate the interconnectedness of cultures in this period. Objects such as the Book of Kells and the palace-city of Anjar in present-day Jordan represent significant artistic and cultural achievements; more quotidian items (a bone comb, an oil lamp, a handful of chestnuts) belong to the material culture of everyday life. In their thing-by-thing descriptions, the authors connect each object to both specific local conditions and to the broader influences that shaped the first millennium AD, and also explore their use in modern scholarly interpretations, with suggestions for further reading. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, 'Fifty Early Medieval Things' demonstrates how to read objects in ways that make the distant past understandable and approachable An Introduction To The Material Culture Of The Greater Mediterranean World, Including Europe And Western Asia, This Book Connects Actual Things To The Political, Economic, Cultural, And Social Forces That Shaped The First Millennium Ad-- Things Of The Fourth Century -- Things Of The Fifth Century -- Things Of The Sixth Century -- Things Of The Seventh Century -- Things Of The Eighth Century -- Things Of The Ninth Century -- Things Of The Tenth Century. Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, And Paolo Squatriti. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "An introduction to the material culture of the greater Mediterranean world, including Europe and western Asia, this book connects actual things to the political, economic, cultural, and social forces that shaped the first millennium AD"-- Provided by publisher