Archaeologies of the Norman Conquest

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Mind the Gap: Exploring Uncharted Territories in Medieval European Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Despite the long-standing truism in archaeology that the Norman Conquest of England is largely invisible in ‘the stuff of everyday life’, an abundance of material remains dating to the 11th and 12th centuries has been recovered through excavation and still survives above ground. It is now becoming clear that while some level of continuity was not unusual, the Conquest also initiated and intensified developments in all aspects of society, including culture and identity, economy, diet, art and architecture, portable material culture, manorial and community landscapes, religion and mortuary practice, and the management of animals and the environment. Many of these elements are either inaccessible from documentary evidence alone or have distinct material implications, yet scholars have rarely taken advantage of these wide-ranging archaeological datasets to ask probing questions about the dynamics and impact of the Norman Conquest.

This paper presents the results of our recent research project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. It will showcase innovative approaches and interpretations from both the humanistic and scientific sides of archaeology that are helping us re-evaluate traditional narratives of the Conquest and better understand this rich period of British and Continental history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Mind the Gap: Exploring Uncharted Territories in Medieval European Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23852