Life in Early Medieval Wales

Life in Early Medieval Wales explores how people lived in late Roman and early medieval Wales, focusing on archaeological evidence, written sources, place-names, and personal names. It discusses the disintegration of the Roman market economy, power fragmentation, and the emergence of new kingdoms and elites. The book also examines the development of new farming and rural settlements, craft working, exchange, display, and trade, as well as the course of conversion to Christianity, the rise of monasticism, and the increasing power of the Church.

Format: Hardback
Length: 528 pages
Publication date: 22 August 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship provided funding for the research and writing of this book, which spans the period from c. AD300 to 1050 and covers the transition from Roman rule to the arrival of the Normans. This period was crucial in shaping the development of Wales. Life in Early Medieval Wales delves into the lives of people in late Roman and early medieval Wales, exploring how their lives and communities evolved over this time. The book employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon a growing body of archaeological evidence, early medieval written sources, place-names, and personal names. It begins by examining previous research, the range of sources available, the significance of environmental and climate change, and methods of calculating time. The discussion in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries centers on the disintegration of the Roman market economy, the fragmentation of power, and the emergence of new kingdoms and elites, alongside evidence for changing identities. Important continuities, such as Latin literacy, Christianity, and the persistence of small-scale farming communities, are also highlighted. Early medieval Wales was predominantly a rural society. The analysis of settlement archaeology includes key sites such as hillforts, including Dinas Powys, the royal crannog at Llangorse, and the Viking Age and earlier estate center at Llanbedrgoch. Additionally, the development of new farming and other rural settlements from the seventh century onwards is examined. Consideration is given to changes in the mixed farming economy due to climate deterioration and the need for food security, as well as craft working and the roles of exchange, display, and trade in reflecting changing external contacts. At the same time, cemeteries, inscribed stones, stone sculpture, and early church sites provide valuable insights into the social, economic, and cultural landscape of this period.

Weight: 1310g
Dimension: 199 x 252 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198733218