Settlement And Social Organization: The Merovingian Region Of Metz Merovingian Region Of Metz

This book examines one region of north-eastern Gaul around Metz in the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the accession of Charlemagne. It adopts a new, multi-disciplinary approach using all available evidence, both documentary and archaeological. It deals with a broad range of historical themes, and, by looking at the reasons behind the creation of different forms of evidence, it examines how the different facets of social organisation (ethnicity, gender, age and social hierarchy) were related intimately to each other and to contemporary settlement patterns of the region. As a result, it is argued that the Merovingian period was not one of slow 'transformation' from 'Roman' to 'medieval' but was one of constant, dynamic social change and diversity even between the recognised periods of dramatic upheaval. This Book Is A Regional Study Of What Is Now Northern Lorraine During The Period Between The End Of The Roman Empire And The Accession Of Charlemagne. It Covers A Broad Range Of Historical Themes, Looking At All Areas Of Society And The Settlements In Which It Lived. Adopting A New Multi-disciplinary Methodology That Integrates Historical And Archaeological Evidence, It Argues That Early Medieval Society Was Not Stagnant, As Is Often Thought, But Was Both Diverse And Open To Constant Change.-- Part I. Social Organization. Social Organization: Descriptive Analysis Of The Documentary Evidence ; Creating A Model: Cemeteries Of The Merovingian Civitas Of Metz ; Testing The Model: Cemeteries Outside The Civitas Of Metz -- Part Ii. Settlement. Rural Settlement ; Ntermediate Settlement: Castra, Vici, Palaces And Monasteries ; Urbanism In Metz -- Part Iii. Conclusions. Town And Country, C. 450–c. 600 ; The Later Merovingian Period. Guy Halsall. This Book Is A Barely Recognizable Descendant Of An Exceptionally Erratic Doctoral Thesis (halsall 1990).--p. Xv. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 283-300) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Contents......Page 10 List of illustrations......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 16 List of abbreviations......Page 18 Notes on the citation of sources......Page 21 1 - Introduction......Page 22 Part I - Social organization......Page 40 Introduction......Page 42 2 - Social organization: descriptive analysis of the documentary evidence......Page 47 3 - Creating a model: cemeteries of the Merovingian civitas of Metz......Page 96 4 - Testing the model: cemeteries outside the civitas of Metz......Page 131 Part II - Settlement......Page 186 Introduction......Page 188 5 - Rural settlement......Page 196 6 - Intermediate settlement: castra, vici, palaces and monasteries......Page 220 7 - Urbanism in Metz......Page 235 Part III - Conclusions......Page 264 8 - Town and country, c. 350 -- c. 600......Page 266 9 - The later Merovingian period......Page 283 Bibliography......Page 304 Index......Page 322 "This book is a regional study of what is now northern Lorraine during the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the accession of Charlemagne. It covers a broad range of historical themes, looking at all areas of society and the settlements in which it lived. Adopting a new multi-disciplinary methodology that integrates historical and archaeological evidence, it argues that early medieval society was not stagnant, as is often thought, but was both diverse and open to constant change."-- Publisher's website This book is a regional study of what is now northern Lorraine during the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the accession of Charlemagne. Integrating historical and archaeological evidence, it argues that early medieval society was not stagnant but diverse and subject to constant change.

an Historical And Archaeological Examination Of Social Organisation In The Merovingian Region Of Metz.

Three hundred years is a long time; in important respects it was even longer in the middle ages.