Merovingian mortuary archaeology and the making of the early Middle Ages / Bonnie Effros.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Effros, Bonnie, 1965-

Series:

Transformation of the classical heritage ; 35.

The transformation of the classical heritage ; 35

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Merovingians--Funeral customs and rites.

Merovingians.

Funeral rites and ceremonies--Gaul.

Funeral rites and ceremonies.

Gaul--Social life and customs.

Gaul.

Gaul--Antiquities.

France--History--To 987.

France.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xviii, 272 pages) : illustrations, map

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Clothing, jewelry, animal remains, ceramics, coins, and weaponry are among the artifacts that have been discovered in graves in Gaul dating from the fifth to eighth century. Those who have unearthed them, from the middle ages to the present, have speculated widely on their meaning. This authoritative book makes a major contribution to the study of death and burial in late antique and early medieval society with its long overdue systematic discussion of this mortuary evidence. Tracing the history of Merovingian archaeology within its cultural and intellectual context for the first time, Effros exposes biases and prejudices that have colored previous interpretations of these burial sites and assesses what contemporary archaeology can tell us about the Frankish kingdoms. Working at the intersection of history and archaeology, and drawing from anthropology and art history, Effros emphasizes in particular the effects of historical events and intellectual movements on French and German antiquarian and archaeological studies of these grave goods. Her discussion traces the evolution of concepts of nationhood, race, and culture and shows how these concepts helped shape an understanding of the past. Effros then turns to contemporary multidisciplinary methodologies and finds that we are still limited by the types of information that can be readily gleaned from physical and written sources of Merovingian graves. For example, since material evidence found in the graves of elite families and particularly elite men is more plentiful and noteworthy, mortuary goods do not speak as directly to the conditions in which women and the poor lived. The clarity and sophistication with which Effros discusses the methods and results of European archaeology is a compelling demonstration of the impact of nationalist ideologies on a single discipline and of the struggle toward the more pluralistic vision that has developed in the post-war years.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Map and Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Antiquaries, historians, and archaeologists: creating a cultural context for early medieval graves

2. Modern Assessments of Merovingian Burial

3. Grave goods and the ritual expression of identity

4. The visual landscape: Cemeterial topography and community hierarchy

Epilogue

Select Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-262) and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9786612356704

9781282356702

1282356704

9780520928183

0520928180

9781597347433

1597347434

OCLC:

475928865