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The Archaeology of the 11th Century explores this formative period of English history and in particular the impact of the Conquest of England by the Normans. The volume examines how the Normans contributed to local culture, religion and society through a range of topics including food culture, funerary practices, the development of castles and their impact, and how both urban and rural life evolved during the eleventh century. Through its nuanced approach to the complex relationships and regional identities which characterized the period, this collection stimulates renewed debate and challenges some of the long-standing myths surrounding the Conquest.
List of contents
1 Introduction
D M Hadley and C C Dyer
2 The Norman Conquest and its impact on late Anglo-Saxon towns
Letty ten Harkel
3 The Norman Conquest and its influences on urban landscapes
Keith D Lilley
4 Conquest, colonisation and the countryside: archaeology and the mid-11th- to mid-12th-century rural landscape
Oliver Creighton and Stephen Rippon
5 Manorial farmsteads and the expression of lordship before and after the Norman Conquest
Mark Gardiner
6 Anglo-Saxon towers of lordship and the origins of the castle in England
Michael G Shapland
7 Scars on the townscape: urban castles in Saxo-Norman England
Michael Fradley
8 Seeking ‘Norman burials’, evidence for continuity and change in funerary practice following the Norman Conquest
Elizabeth Craig-Atkins
9 Charity and conquest: leprosaria in early Norman England
Simon Roffey
10 Archaeology and archiepiscopal reform. Greater churches in York diocese in the 11th century
Paul Everson and David Stocker
11 Rewriting the narrative: regional dimensions of the Norman Conquest
Aleksandra McClain
12 The Bayeux Tapestry: window to a world of continuity and change
Michael Lewis
13 Cuisine and conquest: interdisciplinary perspectives on food, continuity and change in 11th-century England and beyond
Ben Jervis, Fiona Whelan and Alexandra Livarda
14 Tradition and innovation: lead-alloy brooches and urban identities in the 11th century
Rosie Weetch
15 History, archaeology and the Norman Conquest
Hugh M Thomas
About the author
Dawn M Hadley is Head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield, UK.
Christopher Dyer is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Leicester, UK.
Summary
The Archaeology of the 11th Century addresses many key questions surrounding this formative period of English history and considers conditions before 1066 and how these changed. The impact of the Conquest of England by the Normans is the central focus of the book, which not only assesses the destruction and upheaval caused by the invading forces, but also examines how the Normans contributed to local culture, religion, and society. The volume explores a range of topics including food culture, funerary practices, the development of castles and their impact, and how both urban and rural life evolved during the 11th century. Through its nuanced approach to the complex relationships and regional identities which characterised the period, this collection stimulates renewed debate and challenges some of the long-standing myths surrounding the Conquest. Presenting new discoveries and fresh ideas in a readable style with numerous illustrations, this interdisciplinary book is an invaluable resource for those interested in the archaeology, history, geography, art, and literature of the 11th century.
