Contact Continuity And Collapse

This collection of ten papers investigates the Norse colonization of the North Atlantic region, starting with Viking expansion in Arctic Norway and ending with a discussion of the longterm implications of medieval Scandinavian exploration of the New World. Each chapter provides a short regional synthesis of the archaeological evidence and, where appropriate, addresses three interrelated themes: the relationship between native and newcomer; the creation of local identities in the settlement period; the relationship between archaeology, history and the construction of modern national identities. In sequence, the chapters focus on North Norway, the Faeroes, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, the Inuits of Smith Sound, L'Anse aux Meadows and Vinland, together with introductory and concluding chapters.

Alistair Paterson has written a comprehensive textbook detailing the millennium of cultural contact between European societies and those of the rest of the world. Beginning with the Norse intersection with indigenous peoples of Greenland, Paterson uses case studies and regional overviews to describe the various patterns by which European groups influenced, overcame, and were resisted by the populations of Africa, the Americas, East Asia, Oceania, and Australia. Based largely on the evidence of archaeology, he is able to detail the unique interactions at many specific points of contact and display the wide variations in exploration, conquest, colonization, avoidance, and resistance at various spots around the globe. Paterson’s broad, student-friendly treatment of the history and archaeology of the last millennium will be useful for courses in historical archaeology, world history, and social change.

This collection of papers offers views of the interation and interdependence of Celtic and Norse populations in the the Irish Sea region in the period 800 A.D.-1200 A.D., bringing together the work of historians, archaeologists, art- and religious-historians and philologists

Seascape studies have developed in response to questions arising from composite correlations such as coastal, island and marine research, social requirements, landscape design and planning, marine ecology, and environment and resource management. This global volume is the first comprehensive overview to provide a solid foundation on the concept of seascape, with the latest research findings from leading experts across a variety of fields, offering a holistic approach to seascape linking nature with culture, and theory with practice. Divided into six parts, it includes over 30 chapters from contributors around the world. Pioneering methods with illustrated case studies from the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, North Sea, North America and Asia serve as examples for future seascape development, conservation and governance. An important and extremely timely resource, the Routledge Handbook of Seascapes provides academics, practitioners, NGOs, consultants and government officials with a broad overview of current research and practice for future application and advance worldwide.

Featured in New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2015 Michael Pye's The Edge of the World is an epic adventure: from the Vikings to the Enlightenment, from barbaric outpost to global centre, it tells the amazing story of northern Europe's transformation by sea. 'An utterly beguiling journey into the dark ages of the north sea. A complete revelation . . . Pye writes like a dream. Magnificent' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps This is a story of saints and spies, of fishermen and pirates, traders and marauders - and of how their wild and daring journeys across the North Sea built the world we know. When the Roman Empire retreated, northern Europe was a barbarian outpost at the very edge of everything. A thousand years later, it was the heart of global empires and the home of science, art, enlightenment and money. We owe this transformation to the tides and storms of the North Sea. The water was dangerous, but it was far easier than struggling over land; so it was the sea that brought people together. Boats carried food and raw materials, but also new ideas and information. The seafarers raided, ruined and killed, but they also settled and coupled. With them they brought new tastes and technologies - books, clothes, manners, paintings and machines. In this dazzling historical adventure, we return to a time that is largely forgotten and watch as the modern world is born. We see the spread of money and how it paved the way for science. We see how plague terrorised even the rich and transformed daily life for the poor. We watch as the climate changed and coastlines shifted, people adapted and towns flourished. We see the arrival of the first politicians, artists, lawyers: citizens. From Viking raiders to Mongol hordes, Frisian fishermen to Hanseatic hustlers, travelling as far west as America and as far east as Byzantium, we see how the life and traffic of the seas changed everything. Drawing on an astonishing breadth of learning and packed with human stories and revelations, this is the epic drama of how we came to be who we are. 'A closely-researched and fascinating characterisation of the richness of life and the underestimated interconnections of the peoples all around the medieval and early modern North Sea. A real page-turner' Chris Wickham, author of The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000 'Elegant writing and extraordinary scholarship . . . Miraculous' Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of Periodic Tales and Anatomies 'Splendid. A heady mix of social, economic, and intellectual history, written in an engaging style. It offers a counterpoint to the many studies of the Mediterranean, arguing for the importance of the North Sea. Exciting, fun, and informative' Michael Prestwich, Professor of History, Durham University Michael Pye has written eleven previous books, translated into eleven languages, including two British bestsellers and two New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He took a First and various prizes in Modern History at Oxford, and was then for many years a highly successful journalist, columnist and broadcaster in London and New York. He now lives between London and rural Portugal.

The North Atlantic was a hostile environment, but somehow the Viking settlers on Iceland survived while the settlers on Greenland failed. Sagas, historical sources, and archaeology are combined to answer the five hundred year old question—why?

This interdisciplinary handbook provides extensive information about research in medieval studies and its most important results over the last decades. The handbook is a reference work which enables the readers to quickly and purposely gain insight into the important research discussions and to inform themselves about the current status of research in the field. The handbook consists of four parts. The first, large section offers articles on all of the main disciplines and discussions of the field. The second section presents articles on the key concepts of modern medieval studies and the debates therein. The third section is a lexicon of the most important text genres of the Middle Ages. The fourth section provides an international bio-bibliographical lexicon of the most prominent medievalists in all disciplines. A comprehensive bibliography rounds off the compendium. The result is a reference work which exhaustively documents the current status of research in medieval studies and brings the disciplines and experts of the field together.