Reflecting Peasant Agency in Medieval Rural Milieu Research of East Central Europe

Čapek, Ladislav and Holata, Lukáš (2024) Reflecting Peasant Agency in Medieval Rural Milieu Research of East Central Europe. In: Local Societies and Peasantry Agencies in Medieval Iberia. Reti Medievali E-Book (50). Firenze University Press, Firenze, pp. 41-76. ISBN 979-12-215-0530-6

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Abstract

Despite an exceptionally long tradition of research on medieval rural milieu, peasant agencyrepresents a new theoretical approach that has not yet been coherently reflected in East Central Europe. Issues within social archaeology remain on the fringes of the archaeological interpretations. The view of the peasantry was heavily influenced by economic history and Marxist historiography, portraying peasants as a passive, conservative, homogeneous, socially unequal, and subaltern group vis-à-vis the upper class/elites. This text represents the very first effort to assess the rich evidence obtained by large-scale excavations of deserted medieval villages by adopting a peasant agency perspective. To achieve this, we introduce seven prospective themes in which the diversity and complexity of rural communities that have taken an active role in historical processes making collective and individual decisions can be illustrated. Our ambition is to offer a new insight into late medieval peasants in East Central Europe, enhance their comprehensive understanding, and stimulate future research directions.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	This research and chapter have been supported by the Czech Science Foundation – the project No. 22-23889S (Vulnerable or Resilient? Understanding the Responses of Medieval Rural Communities to Environmental Stress).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Late Middle Age, East Central Europe, Deserted medieval village, rural archaeology, historiography, peasantry, agency
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History D History General and Old World > DP Spain
Depositing User:	dr Vincenzo De Luise
Date Deposited:	11 Aug 2025 09:35
Last Modified:	11 Aug 2025 09:35
URI:	http://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/7205

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