Early Medieval villages and estate centres in France (c. 300-1100)

Zadora-Rio, Elisabeth (2009) Early Medieval villages and estate centres in France (c. 300-1100). In: The archaeology of early medieval villages in Europe. Documentos de arqueología e historia (1). Universidad del País Vasco, Servicio Editorial, Bilbao, pp. 77-98. ISBN 978-84-9860-303-3

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Abstract

This paper considers the dynamics of rural settlement in France during the early Middle Ages, from c.300 to c.1100. Although it is hardly possible to incorporate the mass of available settlement archaeology into a single interpretative framework, some major trends can evertheless be identified. In the southern part of France, the Roman villa system remained resilient down to c.700, and in the 5th and 6th century one can also observe a move towards nucleation with the foundation of complex stone-built hill-top settlements. In the North, those Roman villas which remained occupied underwent drastic changes, and many small timber villages were built during the 6th and 7th century. A major shift in the later part of the 7th century was marked by a significant growth in village size, a move towards formal planning, with some areas being devoted to corn processing and storage, and the appearance of boundary features, high-status residences and churches. The appearance of outsized seigneurial buildings, storage and baking devices in the 10th century provides archaeological evidence for the development of an increasingly ranked and polarised society.

Item Type: Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords: Village, Estate centre, Storage, Church, Burials
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History
Depositing User: dr Vincenzo De Luise
Date Deposited: 11 Oct 2015 08:30
Last Modified: 12 Oct 2015 03:20
URI: http://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/2910

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