MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY
MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY AN
ENCYCLOPEDIA
EDITED BY
PAM J.CRABTREE
New York University
GARLAND PUBLISHING, INC.
NEW YORK & LONDON
2001
Published in 2001 by
Garland Publishing, Inc.
29 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001
Garland is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or
Routledges’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to
www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Disclaimer: For copyright reasons, some images in the original version of this book are not
available for inclusion in the eBook.
Copyright © 2001 by Pam J.Crabtree
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written
permission from the publisher.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Medieval archaeology: an encyclopedia/edited by Pam J.Crabtree.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-203-80181-4 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-67780-3 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-8153-1286-5 (acid-free paper)
1. Europe—Antiquities—Dictionaries. 2. Archaeology, Medieval—Dictionaries.
3. Excavations (Archaeology)—Europe—Dictionaries. I. Crabtree, Pam J.
D125. M42 2000
936–dc21
00–056156
For Bernard Wailes
with thanks
CONTENTS
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONTRIBUTORS
SITE ENTRIES BY COUNTRY
SUBJECT GUIDE
ENTRIES A TO Z
ix
xi
xiii
xxi
xxiv
1
PREFACE
Medieval archaeology is one of the fastest-growing fields in archaeology today. Road
construction and urban redevelopment have led to the discovery of new rural sites and to
major programs of urban excavation in cities such as Winchester, York, Trondheim, and
Lübeck. The rich medieval archaeological database has been used to address a range of
important theoretical concerns in contemporary archaeology. Carefully collected faunal
and floral data have been used to address problems of human economy and the natural
environment in the Middle Ages. Data from medieval excavations, especially when
combined with detailed documentary research, are especially well suited to addressing
some of the important issues in post-processual archaeological theory, including
questions of gender, agency, and power. In addition, the Medieval period in Europe
witnesses the origin and growth of cities, the development of long-distance trade and
craft specialization, and the formation of political states. These processes of cultural and
economic change have been of interest to archaeologists since the days of V.Gordon
Childe. As a result, medieval archaeology is playing an increasingly important role in
archaeological thinking throughout the world.
While medieval archaeology plays an increasingly important role in contemporary
archaeological debate, the discipline itself remains fragmented. Although some medieval
archaeologists, especially in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, are housed in standalone departments of archaeology or programs in medieval archaeology, many others find
themselves in departments of history, anthropology, and classics. Medieval
archaeologists also work in museums, and still others are part of ongoing archaeological
units or research programs. In addition, medieval archaeologists are trained in a variety of
ways. Many archaeologists who work in the Dark Ages (migration period) are trained as
prehistorians, while archaeologists who specialize in the High Middle Ages are often
trained as art historians or historians. One of the goals of this encyclopedia is to bring
together in one volume the research of a diverse range of scholars who work on a wide
variety of archaeological problems.
In order to accomplish this goal, medieval archaeology has been defined as broadly as
possible. The Middle Ages begin with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the
fifth century, and end with the dawn of the Modern Era, ca. A.D. 1500. Several entries
also address the Iron Age background to medieval society and the collapse of the Roman
Empire in the West. The geographical range is equally broad. This encyclopedia focuses
primarily on the Latin west, stretching from Poland to Iceland and from southern Italy to
northern Scandinavia. An entry on the important medieval excavations in Novgorod,
Russia, has also been included. However, the encyclopedia excludes the archaeology of
the Byzantine world and the Balkans.
This volume is designed to provide the interested reader with a guide to contemporary
research in medieval archaeology. It includes country and regional surveys for many
areas of Europe, entries that focus on major archaeological sites and research programs,
and entries that deal with specific technologies and archaeological concepts. For
example, the encyclopedia includes entries on dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating
as well as entries on medieval cloth-making and jewelry. The entries are followed by
detailed bibliographies that include suggestions for further readings. The encyclopedia
includes a number of entries on sites and research programs in east-central Europe.
Archaeological research by Czech, Slovak, Polish, and Hungarian archaeologists has not
been widely available in English until now. These entries should be of especial interest to
both archaeological students and established scholars.
In consulting the entries in this encyclopedia, it is important to remember that
archaeology is an ongoing process of excavation and analysis. New discoveries are made
each year, and new techniques of analysis can be applied to materials that were excavated
many years ago. The World Wide Web is an important source for information about new
discoveries in medieval archaeology.
Pam J.Crabtree
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The preparation of an encyclopedia of medieval archaeology is a daunting task,
especially for an American archaeologist. All of my colleagues conduct their
archaeological research in Europe, and many also live and work in Europe. The Internet
and the fax machine made this project possible. I would like to begin by thanking all my
colleagues who so graciously agreed to contribute to this encyclopedia. Without their
generosity and patience, this encyclopedia would never have been completed. I am
especially grateful to my colleagues for sharing the details of their ongoing research and
for providing the wonderful photographs and drawings that illustrate this encyclopedia.
My colleagues and students at New York University also made this project possible. I
am particularly grateful to the students in my medieval archaeology courses in 1994,
1997, and 2000 who provided support and encouragement throughout the long
development of this project. My current and past M.A. and Ph.D. students contributed to
this project, and I would like to thank all of them. Special thanks go to Dr. Julie
Zimmermann Holt, who translated several of the German entries, and to Maura Smale
and Thalia Gray, who contributed entries. I am also grateful for the support of my friends
and colleagues at the Anthropology Department at New York University.
I would like to thank Richard Steins of Garland Publishing for helping me see this
project to completion. I would also like to thank my family—Doug, Mike, Tom, and
Robby—for their support, help, and patience. And last, I will be forever grateful to
Professor Bernard Wailes, my Ph.D. advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, who
introduced me to medieval archaeology and who has supported me throughout my
academic career.
Pam J.Crabtree
CONTRIBUTORS
Alcock, L.
Department of Archaeology
University of Glasgow
Ambrosiani, B.
Birka Excavations
Ammerman, A.
Department of Classics
Colgate University
Anderson, H.
Forhistorsk Museum
Moesgård
Ayres, B.
Norfolk Archaeological Unit
Baillie, M.G.L.
Queen’s University
Belfast
Baker, E.
Bedfordshire County Archaeology Service
Baker, N.J.
School of Geography
University of Birmingham
Barford, P.M.
Institute of Archaeology
University of Warsaw
Barry, T.
Department of Medieval History
Trinity College
Dublin
Bartosiewicz, L.
Archaeological Institute
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Batey, C.
Glasgow Museums
Blair, C.
Center for Ancient Studies
University of Minnesota
Bonet, C.
Archéologue Cantonal
Genève, Switzerland
Busch, R.
Director
Hamburg Museum of Archaeology and History
Butler, L.A.S.
Department of Archaeology
University of York
Carlsson, D.
Gotland University College
Carr, K.E.
Department of History
Portland State University
Carver, M.
Professor of Archaeology
University of York
Cejnková, D.
Museum of the City of Brno
Christie, N.
School of Archaeological Studies
University of Leicester
Clark, D.
Mucking Excavation Project
Crabtree, P.
Anthropology Department
New York University
Crumley, C.
Department of Anthropology
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Daniels, R.
Archaeological Section
Cleveland County Council
Dix, B.
Northamptonshire Archaeology
Driscoll, S.
Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division
Egan, G.
Museum of London
Ellmers, D.
Director, Deutsches Schiffahrtmuseum
Fehring, G.
City of Lübeck Excavations
Filmer-Sankey, W.
Snape Historical Trust
Fisher, G.
Peabody Museum
Harvard University
Gardini, A.
Genova Excavations
Gelling, M.
Department of Ancient History and Archaeology
University of Birmingham
Gibson, B.
Dysert O’Dea Excavations
Godbold, S.
Westbury Press
Goodburn, M.
Museum of London
Gray, T.
Anthropology Department
New York University
Greene, J.P.
Museum of Science and Industry
Manchester
Gustin, I.
University of Lund
Haith, C.
London
Hall, A.
Environmental Archaeology Unit
University of York
Hall, D.
Department of Archaeology
University of Cambridge
Heckett, E.W.
Department of Archaeology
University College Cork
Heidinga, H.A.
IPP
University of Amsterdam
Highham, N.J.
Department of History
University of Manchester
Hill, D.
University of Manchester
Hills, C.
Department of Archaeology
University of Cambridge
Hindle, P.
Department of Geography
University of Salford
Hlavicová, J.
Academia Istropolitana
Hollinrake, C.
Glastonbury
Hollinrake, N.
Glastonbury
Huml, V.
Museum of the City of Prague
Janssen, W.
University of Würzburg
Jones, E.A.
Department of Anthropology
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Jones, R.H.
Planning and Development Services
Bristol City Council
Klapste, J.
Institute of Archaeology
Prague
Klingelhofer, E.
Department of History
Mercer University
Knüsel, C.
Department of Archaeological Science
University of Bradford
Lane, A.
School of History and Archaeology
University of Wales
La Rocca, C.
Department of History
University of Padua
Legoux, R.
Nantes, France
Loskotivá, I.
Museum of the City of Brno
MacDonald, K.
Institute of Archaeology
University College
London
MacDonald, R.H.
Cambridge University
Malm, G.
Central Board of Antiquities
Sweden
McCormick, F.
Queen’s University
Belfast
McGovern, T.H.
Hunter College, CUNY
McLees, C.
Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research
McNeill, T.
Queen’s University
Belfast
Meduna, P.
Ustav Archeologické Panátkové Péce Severozápních Cech
Moreland, J.
Department of Archaeology and Prehistory
University of Sheffield
Morris, C.
Department of Archaeology
University of Glasgow
Murphy, P.
University of East Anglia
Muslow, R.
Kulturhistoriches Museum der Hansestadt Rostock
Mytum, H.
Department of Archaeology
University of York
Newman, J.
Archaeology Section
Suffolk County Planning Department
Nice, A.
Collége Jean Murmoz
Laon
O’Connor, T.
Department of Archaeology
University of York
Ottoway, P.
York Archaeological Trust
Parczewski, S.
Instytut Archeologii
Krakow
Perdikaris, S.
Department of Anthropology
CUNY Graduate Center
Plachá, V.
Mestské Múzeum
Bratislava
Qualmann, K.
Winchester Archaeological Unit
Racinet, P.
Université Paris-Nord
Rackham, O.
Corpus Christi College
Cambridge University
Redknap, M.
School of History and Archaeology
University of Wales
Renoux, A.
Université du Maine
Roberts, C.
Department of Archaeological Sciences
University of Bradford
Roesdahl, E.
Department of Medieval Archaeology
Aarhus
Rogerson, A.
Norfolk Landscape Archaeology
Rötting, H.
Neidersächsisches Landesverweltungsamt
Rybina, E.
Novgorod
Rynne, C.
Department of Archaeology
University College Cork
Sabo, K.
University of Lund
Scott, B.
Program in Ancient Studies
University of Minnesota
Smale, M.
Anthropology Department
New York University
Stahl, A.
University of Michigan
Stephan, H.G.
Seminar für Ur—und Frühgeschichte der Georg-August
Universität
Stopford, J.
Department of Archaeology
University of York
Sveinbjarnardottír, G.
London
Taavitsainen, J.-P.
National Board of Antiquities
Helsinki
Tabaczyński, S.
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology
Polish Academy of Sciences
TeBrake, W.
Department of History
University of Maine
Thurston, T.
Department of Anthropology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Van de Noort, R.
Humber Wetlands Project
University of Hull
Van Doornick, F.
Department of Anthropology
Texas A&M University
Verhoeven, A.
Instituut voor Prae-en Protohistoire
University of Amsterdam
Vermeulen, F.
Universiteit Gent
Vince, A.
City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit
Wade, K.
County Archaeologist
Suffolk
Ward, S.
Field Archaeological Officer
Chester Co. Council
Wells, P.S.
Department of Anthropology
University of Minnesota
Wicker, N.
Art Department
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Wollett, J.
Anthropology Department
CUNY Graduate Center
Worthington, M.
University of Manchester
Wrathmell, S.
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Yoon, D.
Anthropology Department
CUNY Graduate Center
Young, B.
History Department
Eastern Illinois University
SITE ENTRIES BY COUNTRY
Czech Republic
Brno
Prague
Denmark
Aggersborg
Danevirke
Fröjel Harbor
Fyrkat
Jelling
Nonnebakken
Ribe
Trelleborg
England
Boss Hall
Bristol
Cadbury Castle
Chester
Glastonbury
Grove Priory
Hamwic
Hartlepool
Hyde Abbey
Ipswich
London
Mucking
Norton Priory
Norwich
Offa’s Dyke
Raunds Area Project
Shrewsbury
Snape
Spong Hill
Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo Regional Survey
Thetford
Tintagel
Warden Abbey
Wat’s Dyke
West Stow
Wharram Percy
Winchester
Worchester
York
France
Bulles
Goudelancourt-les-Pierrepont
Herpes
Mont Dardon
Quentovic
Saint-Nicolas D’Acy
Germany
Brunswick
Corvey
Haithabu
Hamburg
Lübeck
Rostock
Hungary
Buda
Iceland
Hofstaðir
Ireland
Cahercommaun
Italy
Genoa
Venice
Netherlands
Dorestad
Gennep
Kootwijk
Norway
Trondheim (Nidaros)
Poland
Ostrów Lednicki
Russia
Novgorod
Scotland
Alt Clut
Birsay
Dundurn
Dunnothar Castle and Bowduns
Dunollie
Fonteviot
Freswick Links
Jarlshof
St. Abb’s Head
Urquhart
Slovak Republic
Bratislava
Devín Castle
Sweden
Birka
Helgö
Uppsala Cathedral
Switzerland
Geneva
Wales
Dinas Powys
Llangorse Crannóg
Offa’s Dyke
Wat’s Dyke
SUBJECT GUIDE
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Hunting
Animal Husbandry
Archaeozoology: Eastern Europe
Archaeozoology: Western Europe
Croft
Deserted Medieval Villages
Dye Plants
Farm Abandonment (Iceland)
Fishweirs
Forests
Hedges
Hunting
Messuage
Open Fields
Paleoethnobotany
Parks
Poultry
Toft
Woodland
Background to the Middle Ages
Collapse of the Roman Empire
Iron Age
Place Names
Pre-Viking Scandinavia
Castles and Fortified Sites
Cadbury Castle
Cashels
Castles
Crannógs
Danevirke
Devín Castle
Dinas Powys
Llangorse Crannóg
Messuage
Mont Dardon
Normandy: Castles and Fortified Residences
Offa’s Dyke
Ostrów Lednicki
Prague
Raths
Trelleborg Fortresses
Wat’s Dyke
Celtic and Germanic Tribes
Lombards
Picts
Visigoths
Cemeteries and Burials
Barrows
Boss Hall Cemetery
Bulles
Cemeteries and Burials
Goudelancourt
Herpes
Mont Dardon
Mucking
Skeletal Populations
Snape
Spong Hill
Sutton Hoo
Tintagel
Countrywide Overviews
Early Polish State
England
Farm Abandonment (Iceland)
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Scotland, Dark Age
Scotland: Early Royal Sites
Scotland, Medieval
Spain, Early Medieval
Sweden
Wales: Medieval Archaeology
Wales: Medieval Settlement
Dating Techniques
Dendrochronology
Farm Abandonment (Iceland)
Radiocarbon Age Determination
Earthworks
Danevirke
Offa’s Dyke
Wat’s Dyke
Ecclesiastical Archaeology
Church Archaeology
Corvey
Geneva
Glastonbury
Grove Priory
Hartlepool
Hyde Abbey
Mont Dardon
Norton Priory
Saint-Nicolas D’Acy
Tintagel
Uppsala Cathedral
Warden Abbey
Emporia
Birka
Emporia
Fröjel
Haithabu
Helgö
Ipswich
Quentovic
Historical Records
Burghal Hidage
Norse/Viking Sites
Birsay
Freswick Links
Hofstaðir
Jarlshof
Jelling
Pre-Viking Scandinavia
Trelleborg Fortresses
Vikings
Pottery
Ceramics (Netherlands)
Ipswich Ware
Stoneware
Thetford-Type Ware
Regional Surveys
Bohemia: Early Medieval Villages
Bohemia and Moravia: High Medieval Settlement
Early Slav Culture
Normandy: Castles and Fortified Residences
Northern Isles
Pre-Viking Scandinavia
Raunds Area Project
Sandy Flanders: Early Medieval Settlement
Survey
Sutton Hoo Regional Survey
Rural Settlements
Deserted Medieval Villages
Gennep
Goudelancourt
Kootwijk
Llangorse Crannóg
Mucking
West Stow
Wharram Percy
Technology and Crafts
Boatbuilding
Ceramics (Netherlands)
Cloth
Cloth Making
Cooperage
Dress Accessories
Dye Plants
Fishweirs
Ipswich Ware
Ironworking
Jewelry
Mills and Milling Technology
Pilgrim Souvenirs
Shipbuilding
Stoneware
Thetford-Type Ware
Tiles
Water Supply
Theory and Method
Archaeology and History
Gender
Material Culture as an Archaeological Concept
Rescue Archaeology
Survey
Trade and Exchange
Coinage
Emporia
Markets