The Long Seventh Century : Continuity and Discontinuity in an Age of Transition

This Volume Represents A Selection Of Papers Presented At The 2013 Edinburgh Seventh Century Colloquium, Showcasing The Latest Scholarship From A Rising Generation Of Academics. The Volume Traverses The Globe From Iran To The Atlantic And From Sweden To The Sahara And Ranges From The Establishment Of The Early Islamic State To The Beginnings Of English Christianity. Topics Include The Transmission Of High Culture Across Time, Settlement Patterns In A Rapidly Changing World And The Formation Of New And Emerging Identities. The Essays Also Bring Into Dialogue A Wide Range Of Disciplinary And Methodological Perspectives, Including Archaeology, Literature, History, Art, Papyrology And Economics. Together, They Generate Valuable New Insights Into The Still Uncharted Territories Of The Long Seventh Century.-- Preface: Evaluating The Edinburgh Seventh-century Colloquium Experience / Emanuele E. Intagliata And Bethan N. Morris -- Sutton Hoo And Sweden Revisited / Alex Woolf -- Kings Without Faces : An Examination Of The Visual Evidence For Kingship In The Seventh Century / Heidi Stoner -- The Early English Cult Of Saints In Long-term Perspective / Austin Mason -- Approaches To The Frankish Community In The Chronicle Of Fredegar And Liber Historiae Francorum / Richard Broome -- The Periphery During The Seventh Century : The Rise Of A New Landscape Within The Core Of The Alps : Climate Change, Land Use And The Arrival Of Lombards In The Eastern Trentino, Northern Italy (sixth-seventh Century Ad) / Paolo Forlin -- The Development Of Diplomatic Contacts And Exchange Between The Byzantine Empire And The Frankish Kingdoms Until The Early Eighth Century / Jörg Drauschke -- When The East Came To The West : The Seventh Century In The Vega Of Granada (south-east Spain) : Visigoths, Byzantines, And Muslims / José Cristóbal Carvajal López, Julio Miguel Román Punzón, Miguel Jiménez Puertas And Javier Martínez Jiménez -- From Early Byzantium To The Middle Ages At Sagalassos / Ine Jacobs -- Continuity And Discontinuity In Seventh-century Sicily : Rural Settlement And Economy / Giuseppe Cacciaguerra, Antonino Facella And Luca Zambito -- Islamic Conquest, Territorial Reorganization And Empire Formation : A Study Of Seventh-century Movements Of Population In The Light Of Egyptian Papyri / Marie Legendre -- Sons Of The Muhājirūn : Some Comments On Ibn Al-zubayr And Legitimizing Power In Seventh-century Islamic History / Ryan J. Lynch -- Irrigation In Khuzistan After The Sasanians : Continuity, Decline, Or Transformation? / Mehrnoush Soroush -- Afterword: Why The Seventh Century? The Problem Of Periodization Across Cultures / Thomas J. Macmaster. Edited By Alessandro Gnasso, Emanuele E. Intagliata, Thomas J. Macmaster And Bethan N. Morris. Papers From The Seventh Century Colloquium Held At The University Of Edinburgh In May 2013. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover Contents Preface: Evaluating the ‘Edinburgh Seventh-Century Colloquium’ Experience (Emanuele E. Intagliata and Bethan N. Morris) Bibliography Sutton Hoo and Sweden Revisited (Alex Woolf) Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Kings without Faces: An Examination of the Visual Evidence for Kingship in the Seventh Century (Heidi Stoner) Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature The Early English Cult of Saints in Long-Term Perspective (Austin Mason) Royal Martyrs: Sainted Heroes? Primary Relics: Curating the Dead Translation: Exhuming the Dead A ‘Conversion-Period’ Cemetery in Long-Term Perspective Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Approaches to the Frankish Community in the "Chronicle of Fredegar and Liber Historiae Francorum" (Richard Broome) Constructing the Frankish Community From Trojans to Franks: The Origins of the Community The Role of Kings Conclusions: Continuity and Change Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature The Periphery during the Seventh Century: The Rise of a New Landscape within the Core of the Alps. Climate Change, Land Use and the Arrival of the Lombards in the Eastern Trentino, Northern Italy (Sixth–Seventh Centuries AD) (Paolo Forlin) The Lombards in Eastern Trentino Early Medieval Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Evidence: European and Trentine Data in Comparison Conclusions. Environmental Evolution and the Arrival of the Lombards: Landscape Continuity or Discontinuity? Bibliography The Development of Diplomatic Contacts and Exchange between the Byzantine Empire and the Frankish Kingdoms until the Early Eighth Century (Jörg Drauschke) Diplomatic Contacts between the Merovingian Kingdoms and Byzantium The End of Diplomatic Contacts – but not Separated Worlds? Oriental and Byzantine Artefacts of the Seventh Century from the Frankish Kingdoms Parts of costume Vessels Coins Oriental imports General Trends and Modes of Exchange Imported Objects in the Merovingian Kingdoms and their Relation to Mediterranean Transport and Communication in the Seventh Century Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature When the East Came to the West: The Seventh Century in the Vega of Granada (South-East Spain): Visigoths, Byzantines and Muslims (José Cristóbal Carvajal López, Julio Miguel Román Punzón, Miguel Jiménez Puertas and Javier Martínez Jiménez) Brief Historical Background The Archaeological Evidence in the Vega of Granada between the Fifth and the Tenth Centuries 1. Settlement patterns 2. Necropoleis 3. Pottery production and distribution Suggested Interpretation: Towards an Understanding of the Transition between the Seventh and Eighth Centuries Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature From Early Byzantium to the Middle Ages at Sagalassos (Ine Jacobs) The Second Quarter of the Sixth Century The Second Half of the Sixth Century The Seventh Century Discussion Conclusion Bibliography Continuity and Discontinuity in Seventh-Century Sicily: Rural Settlement and Economy (Giuseppe Cacciaguerra, Antonino Facella and Luca Zambito) Rural Settlement and Rural Buildings (Antonino Facella) Production, Imports and Trade Routes: The Ceramic Evidence (Luca Zambito) Society and Economy (Giuseppe Cacciaguerra) Concluding Remarks Bibliography Islamic Conquest, Territorial Reorganization and Empire Formation: A Study of Seventh-Century Movements of Population in the Light of Egyptian Papyri (Marie Legendre) Conquest and Exploitation Provincial Organization, Old and New Fiscal Policies, Forced Labour and Fugitives The End of the Long Seventh Century Conclusion Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Sons of the Muhājirūn: Some Comments on Ibn al-Zubayr and Legitimizing Power in Seventh-Century Islamic History (Ryan J. Lynch) Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Irrigation in Khuzistan after the Sasanians: Continuity, Decline, or Transformation? (Mehrnoush Soroush) Impact of Sasanian State Patronage on Irrigation Systems Irrigation History on the Plain of Miyānāb Discussion Future Work Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Afterword: Why the Seventh Century? The Problem of Periodization across Cultures (Thomas J. MacMaster) Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Literature Notes on Contributors Index These essays were selected from papers given at the 2013 Edinburgh Seventh Century Colloquium. Exploring issues as diverse as the origins of the early Islamic state, the beginnings of English Christianity, the transmission of high culture and the forming of new identities, they highlight the latest scholarship from a rising generation of academics.