A Social History of England, 900–1200
A Social History of England, 900–1200
The years between 900 and 1200 saw transformative social change in Europe, including the creation of extensive town-dwelling populations and the proliferation of feudalised elites and bureaucratic monarchies. In England these developments were complicated and accelerated by repeated episodes of invasion, migration and changes of regime. In this book, scholars from disciplines including history, archaeology and literature reflect on the major trends which shaped English society in these years of transition and select key themes which encapsulate the period. The authors explore the landscape of England, its mineral wealth, its towns and rural life, the health, behaviour and obligations of its inhabitants, patterns of spiritual and intellectual life and the polyglot nature of its population and culture. What emerges is an insight into the complexity, diversity and richness of this formative period of English history.
- Will appeal to readers interested in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman history and culture across the conventional 1066 divide
- Sets English history within the context of broader European developments
- Covers topics not usually discussed such as landscape, social migration and education
Reviews & endorsements
'This is an imaginatively-conceived volume that cuts across conventional chronological divisions to offer new insights into the English medieval society and culture. No other volume offers so comprehensive an analysis of all aspects of life in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England. It should be an essential purchase for students and scholars working on England in the central Middle Ages.' Sarah Foot, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, University of Oxford
'This is a ground-breaking collection that combines intellectual, political and cultural history with archaeological, literary, ecocritical and environmental scholarship in an unprecedented fashion. The result is innovative and interdisciplinary in the very best way - rich in insights, lucid, learned, and original.' Paul J. E. Kershaw, University of Virginia
'This fresh and interesting volume has broadened the normal range of selection for a social history to include such excellent literary scholars as Andy Orchard and Elaine Treharne, matching them with archaeologists and the incomparable Oliver Rackham. It will inspire the young to pursue a speciality from one or other of the chapters and one or two readers might even ponder the volume as a whole and go on to transcend specialities and produce a great social history of the complex kind we so singularly lack.' Paul R. Hyams, Cornell University
'This collection of thirty essays by field leaders, expertly edited by Julia Crick and Elisabeth van Houts, is … very welcome and has much to offer medieval history. Going far beyond considerations of government, and taking in change alongside continuity, it makes important contributions … excellent surveys and overviews, accessible to students and non-specialists, reinforcing and enlightening to veterans.' Alex Burghart, The Times Literary Supplement
Product details
July 2011Paperback
9780521713238
472 pages
226 × 152 × 21 mm
0.74kg
23 b/w illus. 2 maps
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction Julia Crick and Elisabeth van Houts
- Part I. Land Use and People Robin Fleming:
- 1. Water and land Stephen Rippon
- 2. Forest and upland Oliver Rackham
- 3. Mineral resources Peter Claughton
- 4. Health and disease Carole Rawcliffe
- Part II. Authority and Community Bruce O'Brien:
- 5. Lordship and labour Stephen Baxter
- 6. Order and justice John Hudson
- 7. War and violence John Hudson
- 8. Family, marriage, kinship Elisabeth van Houts
- 9. Poor and powerless David Pelteret
- Part III. Towns and their Hinterlands David Griffiths:
- 10. Commerce and markets Richard Britnell
- 11. Urban planning Julia Barrow
- 12. Urban populations and association Charles West
- Part IV. Invasion and Migration Elisabeth van Houts:
- 13. Ethnicity and acculturation D. M. Hadley
- 14. Intermarriage Elisabeth van Houts
- 15. The Jews Anna Abulafia
- Part V. Religion and Belief Carl Watkins:
- 16. Rites of passage and pastoral care Sarah Hamilton
- 17. Saints and cults Paul Anthony Hayward
- 18. Public spectacle Tom Licence
- 19. Textual communities (Latin) Teresa Webber
- 20. Textual communities (vernacular) Elaine Treharne
- Part VI. Learning and Training Julia Crick:
- 21. Information and its retrieval Nicholas Karn
- 22. Esoteric knowledge Andy Orchard
- 23. Medical practice and theory Carole Rawcliffe
- 24. Subversion Martha Bayless
- Glossary
- Timeline
- Further reading
- Index.
