Early Middle Ages (c.500-1000)
More general subjects:
Cultivating the Earth, Nurturing the Body and Soul: Daily Life in Early Medieval England
Essays in Honour of Debby Banham
How did food impact social relationships in early medieval England? What cultivation practices were followed to produce the best possible food supplies? What was the cultural significance of bread? How was the human body nourished? When sickness inevitably occurred where did one go and who was consulted for healing? And how was spiritual health also protected? The essays gathered together in this exciting volume draw on a range of different disciplines from early medieval economic and social history to experimental archaeology and medieval medicine to offer a unique overview into day-to-day life in England nearly two millennia ago.Taking as their starting point the broad research interests of the volume’s honorand Dr Debby Banham contributors here offer new insights into the reproduction and ritual use of vernacular charms examine the collation and translation of medieval medicine elucidate monastic economies and production and uncover the circumstances behind the production and transmission of medical manuscripts in early medieval England. Presenting new insights into agricultural practices and animal husbandry monastic sign language and materia medica plant knowledge and medical practices the chapters within this volume not only offer a fitting tribute to Banham’s own groundbreaking work but also shed new light on what it meant to nurture both body and soul in early medieval England.
Sacred Places
Devotional Practices and Space Organization in Early Medieval Monasteries (5th-10th centuries)
The body or relics of a saint could attract divine protection on the community and the place where they were kept. If in some cases the monasteries were structures of assistance to sanctuaries of certain notoriety starting from the 7th century they increasingly played the role of protagonists autonomously managing the devotional activities derived from the acquisition or translation of relics. The need to preserve the isolation of the 'clausura' and to manage at the same time an increasing flow of pilgrims led these monasteries to build new spaces for prayer communion and assistance.
This book includes the Proceedings of the International Conference held in Naples (Italy) on November 28-29 2022. The Conference - organized as part of a Marie-Curie research project by the Fondazione San Bonaventura with the contribution of the Italian Ministry of Culture - brought together historians archaeologists and art historians to discuss the theme of spatial articulation of monasteries chosen as places of pilgrimage during the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. From this interdisciplinary discussion exciting insights have emerged on aspects of particular relevance such as the organization of the funerary space and interaction between monks and laypeople the elements of balance or clash between 'clausura' and hospitality and the comparison between male and female monasteries as devotional centers.
Small Change in the Early Middle Ages
New Perspectives on Coined Money, c. 400–1100
Coined money is a familiar part of day-to-day life and has been for millennia in many societies. In the early Middle Ages however it worked rather differently. People across the former Roman Empire and beyond continued to think in terms of monetary units of account but the supply and use of actual coin became highly uneven. Access to low-value coinage small change was particularly attenuated in western Europe where gold and silver pieces predominated. This volume explores how people and societies dealt with changes to monetary systems. It looks at the experiences of different groups in society from those who struggled with regimes that used only high value coins to the elites who tended to benefit from those same conditions. The ten contributions to this volume consider diverse geographical areas from Byzantine Egypt to Italy Francia and Britain identifying parallels and divergences among them. The chapters draw on cutting-edge archaeological and historical research to give a panorama of the latest thinking on early medieval money and coinage.
Pastoral Works
Priests, Books, and Compilatory Practices in the Carolingian Period
Much of the Christian empire established by the Carolingians in the eighth century was not only built through royal initiative but also through the work of local priests. Living among the laity these clerics provided pastoral care and religious instruction. Yet despite their vital contribution to the development of Christianity in Western Europe these clergymen and the communities they served remain understudied.
This book investigates the manuscripts they used offering a glimpse into everyday life around the local church. Far from being poor and illiterate priests had access to texts specifically adapted to their needs. By examining how these materials were compiled this study reveals what mattered most in the early medieval countryside. Drawing on excerpts from collections of liturgy canon law and patristic expositions — often preserved in the great monastic and court libraries — it uncovers the diversity of local religious practice. These texts reflect how the efforts instigated by Carolingians to foster ‘good Christianity’ were interpreted and implemented outside the centres of power. In exploring these seemingly modest manuscripts this study opens new pathways into the world of the Carolingian local church and the people who inhabited it.