Search

Summary: The paper is devoted to funeral rites in the period from the end of 9th to the 13th century on the lands historically associated with the Yatving tribe. On the point map depicting the early medieval sites in Old Prussian lands, a cluster of sites, which were called the Czarna Hańcza group, is highlighted. Within this cluster, 16 burial sites have been discovered so far. Their analysis showed that over the course of more than 150 years, researchers from different countries have discovered similar necropolis. They were locating within the borders of several countries (first the German province Ostpreussen and Russia, later Poland and Lithuania) and information about them was not previously combined. There are flat cremation cemeteries here. On some of them very shallow and extensive pits were observed. Concentrations of burnt bones and equipment can be observed, but osteological and archaeological material is present in the whole pit. On others, only the presence of significant quantities of burned human bones and very rich equipment scattered in the superficial layer was found. The finds very often bear traces of intentional destruction (cutting, bending, breaking) and burning on the funeral pyre. A review of thousands of fragments of finds known so far from the Czarna Hańcza group allowed to point out the types of finds characteristic for this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of slavery increasingly refer to 'enslaved people' rather than 'slaves', and, to a lesser extent, to 'enslavers' rather than 'slave owners'. This trend began with scholarship in the United States on plantation slavery but has spread to other academic publications. Yet 'slave' continues to be widely used, indicating not everyone is aware of the change or agrees with it. Despite this, few historians have justified their terminology. After surveying the extent of the preference for 'enslaved person', I discuss arguments for and against it. Supporters of using 'enslaved person' argue that this term emphasises that a person was forced into slavery – but this emphasis means it is less able to accommodate early medieval cases where people sold themselves into slavery. The accompanying preference for 'enslaver' over 'master' obscures dynamics of ownership and manumission. In addition, 'enslaved people' and 'enslaver' do not necessarily bring us away from the perspective of slaveholders to the perspective of slaves. Nor are they essential for readers to appreciate the humanity of slaves. Overall, historians should use this issue as an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which scholarship of transatlantic slavery should set the terms of debate for slavery studies in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro‐X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) screening of 244 glass sherds from Ribe, Denmark, identified 23 wood ash glasses. The closely dated finds pinpoint the arrival of the earliest wood ash glass produced in Western Europe in this important North Sea trading hub. This glass type was absent among glass from 700 to 790 CE but feature strongly from 790 to 810 CE. Electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analysis of 24 glasses show the presence of four types. We show the strengths of classifying wood ash glass based on the glass‐producing sands and conclude that the earliest production took place on a considerable scale and had a major impact on glass circulation in Northern Europe in the ninth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flails are one of the most contentious and misunderstood classes of medieval weaponry, despite their prevalence in popular media: some researchers question their existence entirely and the bulk of historians are skeptical of widespread temporal and geographical prevalence, while others, and a significant volume of period evidence, would argue the contrary. While the expansive use of flails in Eastern Europe and Byzantium is familiar, many Central, Western, and Southern European sources are less well known or largely forgotten, especially those stemming from the later-early and early high medieval eras (up to 1250). In this work, I collate and discuss the bulk of the available literary references and artistic depictions of flails and their use alongside some of the archaeological finds from Western, Central, and Southern Europe, with an emphasis on the 12th and 13th centuries. The significance of this volume of evidence is examined, and an assessment of flails as a part of medieval culture and warfare is considered. Collectively, this would suggest that knowledge of flails as instruments of war and associated cultural connotations, if not their actual prevalence and use in warfare, was far more widespread across Europe this time period than has been previously estimated.

Evaluation and excavation works in advance of housing development at two sites on Ravelrig Road and Newmills Road, Balerno, City of Edinburgh, revealed significant archaeological features evidencing multi-phase settlement. At Ravelrig Road, two groups of pits were dated to the Early and Middle to Late Neolithic periods with a cluster of Copper Age and Early Bronze Age features that included two possible storage features. At Newmills Road, alongside limited evidence for late prehistoric occupation in the form of pits dating to the last centuries BC and the first centuries AD, the most significant remains were of early medieval date, including a ring-groove representing a putative roundhouse and other features, including a hearth and linear boundary features, generally placed between the 7th and 9th centuries AD according to radiocarbon dating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flails are one of the most contentious and misunderstood classes of medieval weaponry, despite their prevalence in popular media: some researchers question their existence entirely and the bulk of historians are skeptical of widespread temporal and geographical prevalence, while others, and a significant volume of period evidence, would argue the contrary. While the expansive use of flails in Eastern Europe and Byzantium is familiar, many Central, Western, and Southern European sources are less well known or largely forgotten, especially those stemming from the later-early and early high medieval eras (up to 1250). In this work, I collate and discuss the bulk of the available literary references and artistic depictions of flails and their use alongside some of the archaeological finds from Western, Central, and Southern Europe, with an emphasis on the 12th and 13th centuries. The significance of this volume of evidence is examined, and an assessment of flails as a part of medieval culture and warfare is considered. Collectively, this would suggest that knowledge of flails as instruments of war and associated cultural connotations, if not their actual prevalence and use in warfare, was far more widespread across Europe this time period than has been previously estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medieval ecclesiastical estates have long been linked to vast flocks of wool-producing sheep that underpinned the wealth of the nation well into the sixteenth century. Recent surveys of English medieval animal remains have found evidence for an exceptionally high quantity of sheep at some of the earliest monastic communities established in England from the seventh century AD. The association between religious ideology and sheep is integral to teachings from the Bible, but sheep were also of economic value, and these ideas are considered alongside the changing meaning and value of flocks, and the increase in wool production in medieval England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model for gauging levels of soil disturbance (i.e. tillage) by analysing arable weed assemblages from archaeological contexts is applied to an extensive Roman-to-early medieval archaeobotanical sequence from the region west of Cologne. It tests the hypothesis that increasing use of the mouldboard plough, especially in a three-field system, would result in increased levels of soil disturbance which would be reflected in the kinds of weeds that grew in arable fields. The results point to clear differences in tillage regimes during the Roman period, providing support for the view that military sites were not provisioned by the same networks that supplied the civilian market. They also reveal generally low disturbance levels for the fifth and sixth centuries, indicating a continuing predominance of ard cultivation in the post-Roman period. The majority of seventh- to eighth-century samples had, however, been grown in 'high disturbance' conditions, a pattern that continued through the eighth and ninth centuries. Although use of the mouldboard plough within a fully developed three-field system may not have become widespread until the tenth or eleventh century, our evidence suggests that a plough capable of turning over the soil was in use in the Rhineland at a much earlier date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries testing provides information about diet, hygiene and eating habits. This information can be useful in reconstructing the living conditions of historical populations. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dental caries in adults and children in the Early Middle Ages population from Starorypin (Poland) and compare the results with other early medieval populations from Poland. A total of 346 adult permanent teeth and 131 deciduous teeth were included in the study. Both the macroscopic method and imaging methods (X-ray and a light-induced fluorescence technique) were applied in the study. Dental caries were recorded in 33% (115/346) of the permanent teeth and in 10% (13/131) of the deciduous teeth. In permanent teeth, dental caries were diagnosed on the approximal surface, while dental caries in deciduous teeth are most often diagnosed on the occlusal surface. Early childhood caries (ECC) were mainly diagnosed on the teeth of individuals within the 3.0–5.5 years age group. The frequency of dental caries seemed to be high compared to other early medieval populations. The obtained results may have been influenced by ‘broadband’ odontological research methods, not limited to the macroscopic method alone. However, it can be also argued that the frequency of dental caries observed in this study might have been influenced by a highly varied diet, as indicated by archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies. The surfaces affected by dental caries correspond to findings of other studies showing that in adults, these were the approximal surfaces, while they were the labial/occlusion surfaces on the deciduous teeth.

In this study, information was collected on stave-built wooden vessels (buckets) from early medieval cemeteries in Polish lands, for which the distinguishing feature is metal fittings in the form of strips and / or crescent- shaped applications. In the light of the current state of knowledge, we have information on 33 containers of such design from nineteen cemeteries. The most numerous collection of them was discovered in Lutomiersk, from where eight graves with such vessels are known. Three containers were recorded in the cemetery in Pień, and in Kałdus, Lubień, Komorowo and Poznań-Śródka – two in each. The remaining sites provided single finds. These vessels were subjected to a typological, formal and chronological analysis, taking into account the context of discovery and provenance, and on this basis an attempt was made to interpret their meaning in funeral rites. In Polish lands, the deceased were buried with the type of vessel in question at the end of the 10th century, and this custom disappeared at the beginning of the 12th century.

The article concerns the early medieval settlement at Niedźwiedź/Steklin located on Lake Steklin in the Dobrzyń Land commonly identified with the castrum Steclyn mentioned in the so-called Mogilno Falsification of 1065. Although research has up to now produced relatively little information on the stronghold itself, numerous luxury items discovered on the lake bottom within the remains of the wharves, as well as a bullion hoard recently found in a suburbium settlement testify to the special importance of this place on the northeastern border of the Piast state. The article discusses the origins and functions of the stronghold, as well as its role in the local supra-local settlement structure. It is also shown that its location directly on the long-distance route leading from Gniezno through Mogilno and Kujawy to Prussia enabled communication with Benedictine monks.

The cemetery at Sutton Hoo in East Suffolk includes tumuli dating to the sixth–seventh centuries ad. The largest contained an intact ship-burial. The man commemorated is not identifiable, but is often presumed to be Rædwald, rex Anglorum c ad599–624/5. Excavation was curtailed by the outbreak of war in 1939. Despite subsequent re-excavation and lengthy research, questions remain. Information dispersed in the definitive publication is correlated and developed. Digital 3D imaging of the ship's iron fastenings are used here to extrapolate curved lines of missing rivets and superimpose them on the burial chamber plan. A digital roof reconstruction is also presented. Mechanisms of collapse of the objects are deduced from their positioning and damage, revealing space for access to the chamber. A cross-section depicts the calculated height of the deck and known tilt of the ship. Residues of phosphate, Middle Eastern bitumen, tar and tape cumulatively suggest embalming practices. A temporary coffin and a bed on which possessions were placed are proposed. The most valuable object relinquished is deduced to be the ship. Fragments of a possible anchor are identified. The suggested identification of the iron stand as a raised light would allow supporting ships to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the story of Berthegund, a Merovingian woman who tried to leave her husband to join a religious life. This story comes to us only from a hostile witness, and most scholars have echoed his dismissive perspective. However, it is possible to reconstruct Berthegund's perspective by exploring what would have seemed possible for her. The article then sets her story into the context of several broader issues. The first is the idea of the marital debt and its relation to early medieval ideas about sexuality, as well as stories about marital sex avoidance. The article then takes a further step back to consider the implications of her story for understandings of female agency in the early Middle Ages and how this was shaped by ideas about sexual consent. Berthegund's small story therefore reveals a rich set of worldviews and understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author argues that the coexistence of Taoism and Confucianism in the historical arena of the Western Jin dynasty led to the fact that literati in their works moved from one “end of the spectrum” to another, reflecting both the unity and opposition of these two areas of philosophical thought. Contrary to popular belief, the xuanxue philosophy did not replace Confucianism as the leading ideology, but coexisted with it. This symbiosis also led to the emergence of a “dual role” for the literati of the period in question: in their work, a poet could act both as a Confucian scribe and as a hermit, filling the poem with relevant motifs. The author provides an overview of the main trends in the poetry of Western Jin era, leading to the conclusion that the interaction of Confucianism and Taoism as the two “ends of the spectrum” of consciousness of early medieval Chinese literati. The social and political context of the era, the main ideological currents in literature and their embodiment in the poetry of the Western Jin period (265-316) are considered. The academic novelty and value of this work are due to the insufficient study of the literature of this period, not only in Russian but also in world Sinology.

This article is both a reflection on the cultural, social, and political stakes of how early medieval literature and language functions as heritage in England, and on my practices as a museum educator. Language and literature in heritage contexts may enable rich emotional and intellectual engagement with early medieval stories, landscapes, and objects in ways which may unloose the early medieval from the grip of exclusionary narratives. I discuss how Old English language and literature may be understood within wider contexts of early medieval heritage, often called ‘Anglo-Saxon’ in English institutions, by sketching the overlapping public spaces of encounter with the past, and how we may read across them. With its longstanding links with Old English poetry across scholarship and public history, I suggest that Sutton Hoo provides an ideal case study for examining the enmeshment of early medieval literature, language, landscape, and archaeology as heritage categories. I discuss the planning and delivery of ‘Trade and Travel’, a temporary display and learning programme that I organised with the National Trust in 2017, and present findings from qualitative data I collected to suggest how people make sense of place, archaeology, and early medieval language and literature. Understanding language and literature as heritage, I show how visitors discover and create meaning through encounter and conversation. In heritage spaces, literature and language are sensory and emotional artefacts and experiences: observing visitor engagement reveals how both become integral to creative and identity-making work.

The Old English text Solomon and Saturn includes a list of materials from which Adam, the first man, is made. A pound of cloud constitutes his modes unstaðelfæstnes [mind’s unsteadfastness / instability]. Various other texts from early medieval England also refer to the mod, or mind, as an intrinsically unstable and changeable entity, using key terms such as staðelfæst [grounded / stable] and staðolian [to ground / stabilise]. In many of these texts, this instability is mentioned as an inherent quality of mind. Instability, contingency and change are regarded as integral and typical features of the mind but equally, there are warnings for the waywardness of the mind. The literature frequently encourages readers to ground and maintain control over their minds. Sources recommend restraining and training the mind to ‘govern’ and ‘steer’ it, and they even refer to the possibility of finding mental stability in another foundation. This article considers these seemingly contradictory portrayals of minds and instructions for grounding them, and delivers a more nuanced conception of what (physical) freedom early medieval people would imagine their minds to have, and what foundations they considered helpful for grounding them.

Copyright of Dinbilimleri Journal is the property of Dinbilimleri Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A review of Kaimal, Padma. Opening Kailasanatha: The Temple in Kanchipuram Revealed in Time and Space. Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 2020, 288 pages, 62 b&w illus., 19 color plates, ISBN: 9780295747774. An important contribution to South Asian architectural history, this book is well worth reading for both its content and methodology. Through a complex interweaving of thick description and analysis, Kaimal destabilizes traditional ways of approaching temples and invites readers to encounter the goddess through multiple historical frames.

This paper discusses the problem of the appearance of the Serb ethnonym in the Balkans, as evidenced in the ninth-century Frankish Royal Annals and the mid-tenth-century Byzantine treaty De Administrando Imperio. Written evidence is analysed together with available archaeological information in order to criticize currently dominating ideas concerning the Serb migration in the seventh century, as well as to offer different perspectives on the origins of the early medieval Serb ethnonym in the Balkans.

Dental caries testing provides information about diet, hygiene and eating habits. This information can be useful in reconstructing the living conditions of historical populations. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dental caries in adults and children in the Early Middle Ages population from Starorypin (Poland) and compare the results with other early medieval populations from Poland. A total of 346 adult permanent teeth and 131 deciduous teeth were included in the study. Both the macroscopic method and imaging methods (X-ray and a light-induced fluorescence technique) were applied in the study. Dental caries were recorded in 33% (115/346) of the permanent teeth and in 10% (13/131) of the deciduous teeth. In permanent teeth, dental caries were diagnosed on the approximal surface, while dental caries in deciduous teeth are most often diagnosed on the occlusal surface. Early childhood caries (ECC) were mainly diagnosed on the teeth of individuals within the 3.0–5.5 years age group. The frequency of dental caries seemed to be high compared to other early medieval populations. The obtained results may have been influenced by ‘broadband’ odontological research methods, not limited to the macroscopic method alone. However, it can be also argued that the frequency of dental caries observed in this study might have been influenced by a highly varied diet, as indicated by archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies. The surfaces affected by dental caries correspond to findings of other studies showing that in adults, these were the approximal surfaces, while they were the labial/occlusion surfaces on the deciduous teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Old English poem known as The Wanderer has long been said to rely on the device of 'pathetic fallacy' in its descriptions of stormy and frozen land- and seascapes. This piece of literary-critical terminology has strong ties to both Romantic and realist aesthetic ideals of the nineteenth century, and this paper outlines the assumptions which underpin the term and questions our continued use of it when discussing The Wanderer. By pointing us towards the external world as a projection of the interior psychological world of the 'wanderer' figure, the term obscures two key features of the text. Firstly, the label sweeps to the side the literal significance of the material world to which the poem's central speaker responds, despite the fact that this landscape bears marks of divine anger and potency and seems to participate in the Augustinian tradition of the degraded Sixth Age of the World. Secondly, the term points us towards a dramatic characterisation of a single heroic-age nobleman in a manner that the text is itself relatively uninterested in pursuing, instead emphasising conditions of exile, isolation, and despair as universalised spiritual problems. Seeing this poem as governed by pathetic fallacy distracts us from such facets, when other interpretive frameworks have more to offer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lagore, Co. Meath, has long been a type-site for artificial lake dwellings known as crannogs since excavation in the 1930s by the Harvard Expedition. Renowned for rich finds and documented as the seat of the kings of Southern Brega (8th and 10th centuries AD), alongside the high-status and royal functions of the site, it is now widely recognised that Lagore had a long history of activity stretching back into later prehistory with evidence of deposition of human and animal remains, and metalwork of the Bronze and Iron Ages, and early medieval period. Nonetheless, a poor stratigraphic and archival record has engendered much debate about the timings and tempos of its origins, and the longer-term settlement history of the lough. This paper utilises multi-proxy analysis (Palynology, Geochemistry, Loss-on-Ignition (LOI), Colour, Fourier-transform-infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) and Attenuated-total-reflectance (ATR)) to provide a deeper chronological understanding of land-use and occupation at Lagore. The most significant findings include the likelihood of local settlement (strong farming and parasite signals) well before the main phases of crannog construction, from at least ∼470 BC; a significant lull in population during the early-mid 5th century AD; a gradual economic recovery from ∼AD 555–620, which coincides with the main phase of crannog construction (based on geochemical and other lithological results); and a slightly later transition into a Royal residence from AD 620, marked by both intensification and diversification of agriculture (wheat/oats, rye, flax and cannabis) and a potential ironworking signal. [Display omitted] • Lagore: a site of human activity well before the main crannog occupation with land-use and parasites from at least 470 BC. • A major decline in cereals and parasites from the early-mid 5th century AD, suggests a lull in population and economy. • The main construction phase of Lagore crannog likely falls between AD 555–620. • Royal residence from ∼AD 620; marked by agricultural intensification-diversification: wheat/oats, rye, flax and cannabis). • The geochemical results display a potential ironworking signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the production rate of historical and archaeological data might contain unique information about past societies. The case study is the frequency of entries in the Annals of Ulster, a primary early medieval source from Ireland, which was compared to the frequency of archaeological material from early medieval Ireland. The two datasets were found to contain similar trends, namely a rapid increase in activity in the 7th Century, followed by a decline in the Early 9th Century, low levels of activity in the 10th Century, until recovery in the Late 10th / Early 11th Centuries. This overall pattern of activity had not been noticed before. Turning to the archaeological record of Britain, although there are certain similarities between Ireland and Scotland especially in the early part of the period, we find that the 9th and 10th centuries there were a stable period, and thus contrast with Ireland. We argue that environmental pressures are unlikely to be driving the signal, and instead various socio-cultural factors in the past coalesced in Ireland, leading to circumstances powerful enough to attenuate the enduring evidence for human activity, but expressing themselves silently, perhaps even in a way that was not immediately obvious to those witnessing them in the past. The simplest explanation, we contend, is that population levels fell throughout the period. This finding offers insight into the relationship between long-term change and the primary production of history, and supports the idea that the quantity of certain historical data can contain information about past realities.

Copyright of Revue Archéologique de Picardie is the property of Revue Archeologique de Picardie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

During the first millennium ad, Europe saw much socio-environmental change, which is reflected in the archaeological and palaeoecological evidence. Using published and new isotope data from across western Europe, the author examines changing resource use from c.ad 350 to 1200. The geographical limits of millet and substantial marine consumption are identified and comparisons between childhood and adult diets made across regions. Cross-cultural interaction at a broad scale is emphasized and patterns within early medieval England form the subject of an in-depth case study. While doubt is cast onto the uptake of marine resource consumption in England following the Fish Event Horizon, changes in agricultural practices, the impact of Christianization, and the role of freshwater fish in diets are explored. The author's hierarchical meta-analytical approach enables identification of human–environment interactions, with significant implications for changing foodways in Europe during the first millennium ad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article continues the ongoing debate about a “pre-state” tribal society and the nature of its transformation into an early medieval “state” (regnum). The methodological approach is to understand this transformation as an institutional crisis within the tribal society. The opportuni-ties to detect the key moments of this process are tested on the narrative strategies of medieval chroniclers based on the expectation that creating Christian monarchic power took place under the control of the church that tried to influence its form to correspond to the characteristics of the given patrician tradition. It also benefits from the reality that the authors of these texts were clergymen for whom this idea was natural. Using comparative examination, it seeks out typical testimonies that can be considered traditional locations of literary memory of communication between the sovereign and the tribe. In this way, the study attempts to define the basic strategy the sovereign employed to subjugate “their” people within the framework of Christian ethical discourse.

This article presents a contextual approach to studying the role of the urban environment in introducing Christianity to Denmark between 900 and 1250. We consider sensory experience and apply the concept of lived religion to the highly varied and sometimes limited archaeological material from St Alban’s church in Odense, its cemetery, and the surrounding settlement, to show that the urban environment played an active role in integrating Christianity into everyday life. The church and king used the urban environment to stage their authority. The message of Christianity was propagated through religious practices, such as celebrating Saint Cnut with spectacular processions, and dress accessories with religious motifs. These practices facilitated the transformation from an elite-oriented missionary religion promoted by the king and the elite to a widely accepted religion integrated into the everyday lives of Odense’s inhabitants.

Simple Summary: The military and prestigious importance of the horse as a cavalry mount (hussars and lancers) in post-medieval Poland has been well recorded in the pages of chronicles and historical records. However, information about the horse from Poland's earliest Slavic history (10th–13th century) is very modest and can be found in few written sources. Therefore, to change this state of knowledge, data from archaeozoological and archaeological research were used to complement the information from chronicles. This was undertaken as part of a project focusing on the early medieval period. This article presents issues related to the role of the horse in religious rituals. This is discussed through a presentation of older and current views resulting from new research. The article presents and discusses textual and archaeological data supported by archaeozoological sources. The horse is known to be a military, elite and magical animal but also as the source of meat for food and bones for the manufacture of items. Although there is no doubt of treatment of the horse as a magical animal among the Slavs in Poland, it is clear that this animal was not buried in cemeteries in separate graves or with riders, as seen amongst contemporary neighbouring tribes. Knowledge about horses from early medieval (10th–13th c.) Poland has been largely based on historical and archaeological data. Archaeozoological information has only been used to a limited extent. Therefore, this article aims to present the current state of knowledge on this subject, drawing on archaeozoological data from studies of horse bones. Apart from confirming earlier reflections regarding the sacred significance of the horse, additional information was obtained about specific individuals who were the subject of magical treatments. It turned out that sites with horse skeletons and skulls are few compared to the familiar presence of horse remains among kitchen waste. This contrasts with the neighbouring regions, where horses were buried more frequently among the Germans, Scandinavians and Prussians. Some new data have been obtained thanks to taphonomic analyses, which demonstrated that horse skulls of apotropaic status were not only exposed to public viewing but were also deposited under stronghold ramparts. Horses suffering from infectious diseases could also be buried under such ramparts. Considerations in the article lead to conclusions that horses were used in religious rituals as sacrificial animals, apotropaic deposits, as fortune-telling animals and cosmological figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a 12th-century Virupaksha temple through the reconstruction and exploration of space, movement, devotee corporeal experiences, and the use of natural landscape microtopographic features in monument design. The Mula Virupaksha Temple presents a dramatic change in the previously non-imperial sacred landscape in the Hemakuta Hill area at Hampi (Bellary District, Karnataka). With its construction, Hampi transitioned from a local Shaiva pilgrimage center dedicated to the river goddess Pampa and her counterpart Bhairava to a popular Shaiva pilgrimage and cult center of the newly imported god, Virupaksha. The Mula Virupaksha Temple presents a design thoroughly novel to the area that ushered in a period of sophisticated and unprecedented architectural planning at the site which incorporated natural landscape features for the management and cultivation of devotee ritual corporeal experiences. Virupaksha, his patrons, and associated artisans brought significant cultic change and architectural innovation that took root and persisted into the imperial Vijayanagara period, from the mid-14th to late 16th centuries. The present paper relies on a digital methodology developed to identify ritual changes in early medieval South Asian sacred spaces, focusing on time-sensitive maps created through a geographic information system (GIS), and coupled with the immersive panoramic capabilities of Google Street View (GSV) for a ground-based investigation of the non-ephemeral pilgrimage landscape features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces 'The Bioarchaeology of Disability' (BoD), a population-scale approach which allows for a comprehensive understanding of physical impairment and disability in past communities through a combination of palaeopathological, funerary, and documentary analyses. The BoD consists of three phases: 1) Contextualisation includes period-specific literature review; 2) Data collection consists of palaeopathological re-analysis of all individuals with physical impairment and collation of mortuary treatment data; and 3) Analysis integrates the gathered data, literature review, and theoretical frameworks to explore contemporary perceptions of disability. The BoD is demonstrated through an investigation of physical impairment and disability in later Anglo-Saxon England (c.8th-11th centuries AD) which includes four burial populations (N total =1543; N impaired =28). Individuals with physical impairment could be buried with normative or non-normative treatment (e.g., stone/clay inclusions, non-normative body positioning), and in marginal, non-marginal, and central locations. The overall funerary variation for individuals with physical impairment was relatively slight, which may suggest that religious factors were influencing normative funerary treatment of impaired and potentially disabled individuals. The funerary variability that was observed for individuals with physical impairment was probably influenced by individual and community-specific beliefs. This research describes a population-scale approach to archaeological disability studies that can be replicated in other archaeological contexts. Individuals with non-skeletal physical impairment (e.g., soft tissue, mental) are not considered by the BoD. The BoD should be applied to different archaeological communities around the world to better understand disability and physical impairment in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present the results of an isotopic study of diet for the early medieval (Merovingian, Viking, Early Christian) humans buried in the unique Luistari cemetery at Eura (ca. 600–1400 CE), southwestern Finland, the largest cemetery of the region. Isotope analysis was conducted on 37 humans for dentine and bone collagen (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S), and five of them were also studied using compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis. Dental enamel and/or bone carbonate δ13C values were studied from altogether 65 humans, five cattle, and five sheep/goats. The bone and dentine collagen and carbonate data show that throughout the centuries, freshwater fish was a stable part of the diet for the population. Our results do not show systematic dietary differences between estimated males and females, but differences can be large on the individual level. We also discovered a possible temporal change in the enamel carbonate ẟ13C values that could be related to the increasing role of carbohydrates (e.g., crops) in the diet. Luistari burials are well comparable to contemporary Swedish Viking trading communities like Birka in their higher protein intake. But contrary to the wider Viking network, they do not show the same marine signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated the vast range of physical, chemical and biological processes that influence the preservation of archaeological sites, yet characterisation at the site-level remains largely unexplored. National datasets on soil type, land use and erosion modelling have the potential to predict localised impacts but remain an untapped resource in the evaluation of heritage at risk. Using early medieval Scotland as a case study, this paper explores in detail some of the primary factors which have impacted the archaeological record and the degree to which site-based evidence contained in excavation reports compares with national datasets (Land Cover Map 2015, Soil Information for Scottish Soils and Soils of Scotland Topsoil pH) and coastal erosion models (Dynamic Coast National Coastal Change Assessment and Coastal Erosion Susceptibility Model). This provides valuable information on the preservation of Scotland’s early medieval settlement, as well as a methodology for using national datasets in the remote assessment of post-depositional factors across the broader archaeological landscape. Results indicate that agriculture, bioturbation and aggressive soil conditions are among the most significant factors impacting Scotland’s archaeological remains. While the national datasets examined have the potential to inform heritage management strategies on these processes, their use is limited by a number of theoretical and methodological issues. Moving forward, site-specific studies that characterise the preservation environment will be crucial in developing baseline assessments that will advance both local and global understandings of destructive factors and soil-mediated decay.

The study presents an analysis of a horse skeleton discovered in the timber and earth frame of the rampart surrounding the ducal stronghold in Gdańsk. The body of the animal was deposited sometime from the beginning of the 11th to the mid‐12th century. The male horse was aged 8–9 years old and had an estimated withers height of 128 cm (12.6 hands). The dentition and lesions on the skull suggest that the horse was used for riding. Two types of skeletal injuries are visible—the first resulted from the use of the horse and is visible on the skull, teeth, vertebrae, and limb bones. Such bone lesions are described in modern literature on equine medicine; therefore, their aetiology and clinical manifestation are described. The second group of injuries are lesions located in topographically distant areas: the skull, thoracic vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones. Their common feature is a proliferative periosteal reaction. Their aetiology cannot be definitely stated on the basis of the available material. They may be considered an effect of mechanical load‐bearing resulting from the excessive use of the horse but also may reflect a generalized infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early medieval Pampa tirtha (pilgrimage), in the Hampi area, Bellary District, Karnataka, South India, is largely presented in research as a relatively homogenous, albeit sacred space. This paper describes a nuanced understanding of the Pampa tirtha through the lens of spatial organization and pilgrim movement. The natural and built landscape features of the area were digitized through Esri's ArcMap to historically situate extant stone monuments. Devotee movement through the pilgrimage space was then modelled on time-sensitive maps of architectural and natural features. Pathways of movement across the site were subsequently explored in the immersive panoramic imagery captured in Google Street View. By combining these digital tools, a historicized analysis of the character and qualities of place, born from the organization of the site, are identifiable. The results demonstrate how devotees moved through a network of distinct nodes of shrines, temples, and gateways. Each node possessed a unique relationship to microtopographic features of the hill, and to the earliest deities of the site that originally anchored and oriented the sacred space: Pampa and Bhairava. The pilgrimage space that developed between these two deities was tied together through a path of movement, running south to north. Trends of re-ordering the Pampa tirtha spatial network also reveal patron and artisan mechanisms to privilege and prioritize the 12th-century addition of the god Virupaksha into the sacred space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluate the prevalence of DISH through time from the Roman to the post-Medieval period in England and Catalonia. 281 individuals from England and 247 from Catalonia were analyzed. Adult individuals with at least three well-preserved lower thoracic vertebral bodies were analyzed. DISH was assessed considering the early stages of development. Diachronic and geographical dietary shifts were investigated using reported light isotope data, archaeological reports and historical documentation. Males and older individuals showed consistently higher prevalence of DISH, however, only the English sample showed a significant difference between males and females in the prevalence of DISH. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of DISH though time (from Roman to post medieval periods) nor across regions (England and Catalonia). The development of DISH is probably influenced by a combination of factors including increasing age and sex. This is the first exhaustive analysis of DISH in ancient Catalan populations and the first that considers the early stages of DISH. Reduced sample size, particularly in post-medieval samples, as a result of the available excavated samples and the inclusion criteria adopted. Include rural, religious and high-status samples in the analysis of DISH. Re-assess the prevalence of DISH in post-medieval populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to reconstruct the socio-economic dynamics of change at the Roman-Early Anglo-Saxon transition in Britain through zooarchaeological analysis. Contemporary assemblages from the nearby European mainland are used to provide a term of comparison. The results indicate that typical Roman husbandry practices survived into fourth century Britain: the animal economy focussed on cattle, livestock improvements, and surplus production, which allowed to feed the taxation cycle and to supply the army and town dwellers; on the other hand, the zooarchaeological evidence highlights substantial changes in the aims and scale of animal exploitation in the post-Roman period. Such discontinuity demonstrates the key role formerly played by the Roman state in shaping local animal economies and in integrating food production practices throughout the north-western provinces. At the same time, the more generalized animal husbandry strategies of post-Roman settlements respond well to the needs of self-sufficient communities. Cattle decreased in size, as large, robust animals were no longer needed; on the other hand, the large size of sheep and other domesticates, improved in Roman times, benefitted Early Anglo-Saxon herders, and were often maintained. This evidence suggests that post-Roman communities did not simply cope with adverse economic conditions but reacted appropriately to the new circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]