Cultural Encounters on Byzantium's Northern Frontier, c. AD 500-700: Coins, Artifacts and History

In the sixth century, Byzantine emperors built a complex frontier system in the Balkans to secure their provinces. Archaeological evidence shows that communities living beyond the frontier competed for access to Byzantine goods and reshaped their identity through negotiation, reinvention, and hybridization. Byzantine objects, such as coins, jewelry, and terracotta lamps, had social prestige, religious symbolism, and offered a sense of sharing in the Early Byzantine provincial lifestyle.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 396 pages
Publication date: 19 August 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In the sixth century, Byzantine emperors undertook a remarkable feat by establishing an intricate frontier system that secured the provinces of the Balkans. This system was a testament to the empire's strategic thinking and its ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Drawing on a diverse range of literary, archaeological, anthropological, and numismatic sources, Andrei Gandila has compellingly argued that cultural attraction played a vital role in the political frontier of exclusion in the northern Balkans. If left unaddressed, the entire edifice of this frontier system could potentially collapse under its own weight.

To explore this topic further, the author conducts a detailed analysis of the archaeological evidence, shedding light on the communities living beyond the frontier. Through their interactions with Byzantine goods, these communities underwent a process of negotiation, reinvention, and hybridization, which reshaped their identity and contributed to the complex tapestry of the region.

One of the most significant aspects of this analysis is the recognition of the symbolic value that Byzantine objects held for these communities. Coins, jewelry, and terracotta lamps, for example, possessed more than just functional or economic value. They were imbued with social prestige, conveying religious symbolism embedded in their iconography, and offering a sense of shared identity and belonging within the Early Byzantine provincial lifestyle.

Byzantine objects were not just symbols of power and wealth; they were also a means of cultural exchange and interaction. They facilitated trade between different regions, promoted cultural diversity, and helped to bridge the gap between the Byzantine Empire and its neighboring societies. The exchange of these objects not only enriched the communities living beyond the frontier but also had a lasting impact on the empire itself, as it exposed its inhabitants to new ideas, technologies, and artistic styles.

In conclusion, the study of the Byzantine frontier system and its relationship to cultural attraction provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of power, identity, and cultural exchange in the early medieval Balkans. By examining the archaeological evidence and the literary, historical, and anthropological sources, the author has demonstrated the importance of cultural attraction in shaping the political frontier of exclusion and the broader cultural landscape of the region. This study not only sheds light on the past but also has implications for our understanding of contemporary borderlands and the challenges they pose.

Weight: 690g
Dimension: 172 x 243 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108455978