Where Are the Brewers? Feasting and Operational Chains in Anglo-Saxon England

Summary

The importance of alcohol in the landscape of feasting has been well documented across cultures, and early medieval Europe is no exception. The mead-hall in Anglo-Saxon Britain functioned as a location where social bonds were strengthened both vertically and horizontally; Vikings in Iceland relied on barley beer to demonstrate the power and generosity of chieftains. Production of alcohol in the large quantities required for feasting necessitates some degree of specialization, but to what degree did this specialization take on a ritual significance for the individuals involved? This paper investigates the role of brewing as part of the ritualized landscape of feasting in early medieval Europe, focusing particularly on Anglo-Saxon Britain, and considers the intersection of individual (or community) ritual practice with the use of public technology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20533