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Beyond migration and ethnicity? Introduction to the theme of "The very beginning of Europe? Cultural and Social Dimensions of Early Medieval migration and Colonisation (5th-8th centuries)
Boekbijdrage - Hoofdstuk
This volume deals with the archaeology of a key period that
forms a turning point in the history of Europe, the 4th to the
7th century, during which Roman society would develop into
medieval society. Due to the problematic historiographic and
ideological context, which has had a strong influence on the
representation of this period (see below), it received less and
less attention from researchers during the second half of the
20th century. However, over the last 15 years, debates around
early medieval society and material culture have re-ignited
thanks to historians such as Mike McCormick, Chris Wickham,
Bonnie Effros and Guy Halsall, and archaeologists such
as Catherine Hills, Martin Carver, Andrew Reynolds, and
many others.Doubtlessly the renewed attention given to his period is partly
the result of a number of present-day issues. Over the last 20
years, issues surrounding migration, cultural integration and
identity have been central to political and cultural debates in
Europe, and it would seem logical to seek parallels in the one
period that is strongly associated with the issues of integration
of new cultural groups in an old world, i.e. the time of the mass
migrations that led to the fall of the Roman empire. Previous
researchers have ominously labelled the 4th- to 7th-century interval
the 'Dark Ages', the 'time of the mass migrations' or the
'Migration Period', etc.
Even today, the 4th- to 7th-century period is associated with
migration and colonisation by entire tribes and cultural strife
between two extreme opponents: civilised antiquity and barbarian
ethnic tribes, such as the Franks, Lombards and Visigoths.
These Barbarian mass migrations were to cause the downfall of
the glorious Roman culture - on Christmas eve 476 AD, to be
precise. Migration and ethnic conflict were put forward as the
causes of large-scale cultural change.
forms a turning point in the history of Europe, the 4th to the
7th century, during which Roman society would develop into
medieval society. Due to the problematic historiographic and
ideological context, which has had a strong influence on the
representation of this period (see below), it received less and
less attention from researchers during the second half of the
20th century. However, over the last 15 years, debates around
early medieval society and material culture have re-ignited
thanks to historians such as Mike McCormick, Chris Wickham,
Bonnie Effros and Guy Halsall, and archaeologists such
as Catherine Hills, Martin Carver, Andrew Reynolds, and
many others.Doubtlessly the renewed attention given to his period is partly
the result of a number of present-day issues. Over the last 20
years, issues surrounding migration, cultural integration and
identity have been central to political and cultural debates in
Europe, and it would seem logical to seek parallels in the one
period that is strongly associated with the issues of integration
of new cultural groups in an old world, i.e. the time of the mass
migrations that led to the fall of the Roman empire. Previous
researchers have ominously labelled the 4th- to 7th-century interval
the 'Dark Ages', the 'time of the mass migrations' or the
'Migration Period', etc.
Even today, the 4th- to 7th-century period is associated with
migration and colonisation by entire tribes and cultural strife
between two extreme opponents: civilised antiquity and barbarian
ethnic tribes, such as the Franks, Lombards and Visigoths.
These Barbarian mass migrations were to cause the downfall of
the glorious Roman culture - on Christmas eve 476 AD, to be
precise. Migration and ethnic conflict were put forward as the
causes of large-scale cultural change.
Boek: The very beginning of Europe?
Series: Relicta Monografieën
Pagina's: 21-26
Aantal pagina's: 5
ISBN:978-90-75230-34-5
Jaar van publicatie:2012
Trefwoorden:Early Middle Ages, migration, ethnicity, archaeology