Author: Tivadar Vida
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789639911819
Category : Metal-work
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The magnificent gold and silver vessels that reached the Barbarian elites of the Migration period either as diplomatic gifts or as war booty, as part of annual subsidies or through trade, attest to the many forms of cultural exchanges between the late antique civilisation of the Mediterranean and the tribal kingdoms emerging on its fringes. These resplendent silver and gold vessels were prized possessions of elite households, whose display enhanced the splendour of community feasts and ceremonies. As expensive diplomatic gifs, precious metal vessels played an important role in maintaining and cementing amicable relations and alliances between the late antique states and the Barbarian kingdoms. The elegant gold and silver vessels bore witness to the prosperity and "good life" of the late antique aristocracy, while their graceful form and delicate ornamentation were designed to reflect the erudition and cultural values of their owners. These masterpieces of late antique art retained their role as status symbols in their new cultural milieu too, and they were sometimes circulated as part of the gift exchanges between Barbarian elites or between a Barbarian king and his nobles. The more humble copper-alloy vessels used in daily life can usually be associated with the middle classes and reflect the appeal of the late antique aristocracy's lifestyle to a broader circle as well as the desire to emulate their table customs and to acquire at least copies of their tableware. Late antique and early Byzantine metal vessels were mediums of social display not only during their owners' lifetimes, but also after their death through the deposition of these impressive items in burials.
Late Antique Metal Vessels in the Carpathian Basin
Author: Tivadar Vida
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789639911819
Category : Metal-work
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The magnificent gold and silver vessels that reached the Barbarian elites of the Migration period either as diplomatic gifts or as war booty, as part of annual subsidies or through trade, attest to the many forms of cultural exchanges between the late antique civilisation of the Mediterranean and the tribal kingdoms emerging on its fringes. These resplendent silver and gold vessels were prized possessions of elite households, whose display enhanced the splendour of community feasts and ceremonies. As expensive diplomatic gifs, precious metal vessels played an important role in maintaining and cementing amicable relations and alliances between the late antique states and the Barbarian kingdoms. The elegant gold and silver vessels bore witness to the prosperity and "good life" of the late antique aristocracy, while their graceful form and delicate ornamentation were designed to reflect the erudition and cultural values of their owners. These masterpieces of late antique art retained their role as status symbols in their new cultural milieu too, and they were sometimes circulated as part of the gift exchanges between Barbarian elites or between a Barbarian king and his nobles. The more humble copper-alloy vessels used in daily life can usually be associated with the middle classes and reflect the appeal of the late antique aristocracy's lifestyle to a broader circle as well as the desire to emulate their table customs and to acquire at least copies of their tableware. Late antique and early Byzantine metal vessels were mediums of social display not only during their owners' lifetimes, but also after their death through the deposition of these impressive items in burials.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789639911819
Category : Metal-work
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The magnificent gold and silver vessels that reached the Barbarian elites of the Migration period either as diplomatic gifts or as war booty, as part of annual subsidies or through trade, attest to the many forms of cultural exchanges between the late antique civilisation of the Mediterranean and the tribal kingdoms emerging on its fringes. These resplendent silver and gold vessels were prized possessions of elite households, whose display enhanced the splendour of community feasts and ceremonies. As expensive diplomatic gifs, precious metal vessels played an important role in maintaining and cementing amicable relations and alliances between the late antique states and the Barbarian kingdoms. The elegant gold and silver vessels bore witness to the prosperity and "good life" of the late antique aristocracy, while their graceful form and delicate ornamentation were designed to reflect the erudition and cultural values of their owners. These masterpieces of late antique art retained their role as status symbols in their new cultural milieu too, and they were sometimes circulated as part of the gift exchanges between Barbarian elites or between a Barbarian king and his nobles. The more humble copper-alloy vessels used in daily life can usually be associated with the middle classes and reflect the appeal of the late antique aristocracy's lifestyle to a broader circle as well as the desire to emulate their table customs and to acquire at least copies of their tableware. Late antique and early Byzantine metal vessels were mediums of social display not only during their owners' lifetimes, but also after their death through the deposition of these impressive items in burials.
The Avars
Author: Walter Pohl
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501729411
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 603
Book Description
"Though the book was first published in German in 1988, this English version includes many revisions and updates and will be the definitive English-language study of the Avar empire for years to come. It will be invaluable for those interested in medieval history or in the impact of nomadic steppe empires on sedentary civilizations." ― Choice The Avars arrived in Europe from the Central Asian steppes in the mid-sixth century CE and dominated much of Central and Eastern Europe for almost 250 years. Fierce warriors and canny power brokers, the Avars were more influential and durable than Attila's Huns, yet have remained hidden in history. Walter Pohl's epic narrative, translated into English for the first time, restores them to their rightful place in the story of early medieval Europe. The Avars offers a comprehensive overview of their history, tracing the Avars from the construction of their steppe empire in the center of Europe; their wars and alliances with the Byzantines, Slavs, Lombards, and others; their apex as the first so-called barbarian power to besiege Constantinople (in 626); to their fall under the Frankish armies of Charlemagne and subsequent disappearance as a distinct cultural group. Pohl uncovers the secrets of their society, synthesizing the rich archaeological record recovered from more than 60,000 graves of the period, as well as accounts of the Avars by Byzantine and other chroniclers. In recovering the story of the fascinating encounter between Eurasian nomads who established an empire in the heart of Europe and the post-Roman Christian cultures of Europe, this book provides a new perspective on the origins of medieval Europe itself.
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501729411
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 603
Book Description
"Though the book was first published in German in 1988, this English version includes many revisions and updates and will be the definitive English-language study of the Avar empire for years to come. It will be invaluable for those interested in medieval history or in the impact of nomadic steppe empires on sedentary civilizations." ― Choice The Avars arrived in Europe from the Central Asian steppes in the mid-sixth century CE and dominated much of Central and Eastern Europe for almost 250 years. Fierce warriors and canny power brokers, the Avars were more influential and durable than Attila's Huns, yet have remained hidden in history. Walter Pohl's epic narrative, translated into English for the first time, restores them to their rightful place in the story of early medieval Europe. The Avars offers a comprehensive overview of their history, tracing the Avars from the construction of their steppe empire in the center of Europe; their wars and alliances with the Byzantines, Slavs, Lombards, and others; their apex as the first so-called barbarian power to besiege Constantinople (in 626); to their fall under the Frankish armies of Charlemagne and subsequent disappearance as a distinct cultural group. Pohl uncovers the secrets of their society, synthesizing the rich archaeological record recovered from more than 60,000 graves of the period, as well as accounts of the Avars by Byzantine and other chroniclers. In recovering the story of the fascinating encounter between Eurasian nomads who established an empire in the heart of Europe and the post-Roman Christian cultures of Europe, this book provides a new perspective on the origins of medieval Europe itself.
Slavs in the Making
Author: Florin Curta
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351330012
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 251
Book Description
Slavs in the Making takes a fresh look at archaeological evidence from parts of Slavic-speaking Europe north of the Lower Danube, including the present-day territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. Nothing is known about what the inhabitants of those remote lands called themselves during the sixth century, or whether they spoke a Slavic language. The book engages critically with the archaeological evidence from these regions, and questions its association with the "Slavs" that has often been taken for granted. It also deals with the linguistic evidence—primarily names of rivers and other bodies of water—that has been used to identify the primordial homeland of the Slavs, and from which their migration towards the Lower Danube is believed to have started. It is precisely in this area that sociolinguistics can offer a serious alternative to the language tree model currently favoured in linguistic paleontology. The question of how best to explain the spread of Slavic remains a controversial issue. This book attempts to provide an answer, and not just a critique of the method of linguistic paleontology upon which the theory of the Slavic migration and homeland relies. The book proposes a model of interpretation that builds upon the idea that (Common) Slavic cannot possibly be the result of Slavic migration. It addresses the question of migration in the archaeology of early medieval Eastern Europe, and makes a strong case for a more nuanced interpretation of the archaeological evidence of mobility. It will appeal to scholars and students interested in medieval history, migration, and the history of Eastern and Central Europe.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351330012
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 251
Book Description
Slavs in the Making takes a fresh look at archaeological evidence from parts of Slavic-speaking Europe north of the Lower Danube, including the present-day territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. Nothing is known about what the inhabitants of those remote lands called themselves during the sixth century, or whether they spoke a Slavic language. The book engages critically with the archaeological evidence from these regions, and questions its association with the "Slavs" that has often been taken for granted. It also deals with the linguistic evidence—primarily names of rivers and other bodies of water—that has been used to identify the primordial homeland of the Slavs, and from which their migration towards the Lower Danube is believed to have started. It is precisely in this area that sociolinguistics can offer a serious alternative to the language tree model currently favoured in linguistic paleontology. The question of how best to explain the spread of Slavic remains a controversial issue. This book attempts to provide an answer, and not just a critique of the method of linguistic paleontology upon which the theory of the Slavic migration and homeland relies. The book proposes a model of interpretation that builds upon the idea that (Common) Slavic cannot possibly be the result of Slavic migration. It addresses the question of migration in the archaeology of early medieval Eastern Europe, and makes a strong case for a more nuanced interpretation of the archaeological evidence of mobility. It will appeal to scholars and students interested in medieval history, migration, and the history of Eastern and Central Europe.
The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe
Author: Florin Curta
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004456988
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 530
Book Description
In The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe, Florin Curta offers a social and economic history of East Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe during the 6th and 7th centuries. It challenges the current model of transition from Antiquity to the early Middle Ages on the basis of an interpretation of the written sources, but especially of an enormous amount of archaeological evidence accumulated in the last 50 years or so. It deals with societies in close contact with the Roman world, as well with those located very far from it. It addresses questions of property, subsistence, crafts, trade, and social change.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004456988
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 530
Book Description
In The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe, Florin Curta offers a social and economic history of East Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe during the 6th and 7th centuries. It challenges the current model of transition from Antiquity to the early Middle Ages on the basis of an interpretation of the written sources, but especially of an enormous amount of archaeological evidence accumulated in the last 50 years or so. It deals with societies in close contact with the Roman world, as well with those located very far from it. It addresses questions of property, subsistence, crafts, trade, and social change.
Values and Revaluations
Author: Hans Peter Hahn
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1789258146
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427
Book Description
Why are some things valuable while others are not? How much effort does it take to produce valuable objects? How can one explain the different appraisal of certain things in different temporal horizons and in different cultures? Cultural processes on how value is attached to things, and how value is re-established, are still little understood. The case studies in this volume, originating from anthropology and archaeology, provide innovative and differentiated answers to these questions. However, for all contributions there are some common basic assumptions. One of these concerns the understanding that it is rarely the value of the material itself that matters for high valuation, but rather the appreciation of the (assumed or constructed) origin of certain objects or their connection with certain social structures. A second of these shared insights addresses the ubiquity of phenomena of 'value in things'. There is no society without valued objects. As a rule, valuation is something negotiated or even disputed. Value arises through social action, whereby it is always necessary to ask anew which actors are interested in the value of certain objects (or in their appreciation). This also works the other way round: Who are those actors who question corresponding objective values and why?
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1789258146
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427
Book Description
Why are some things valuable while others are not? How much effort does it take to produce valuable objects? How can one explain the different appraisal of certain things in different temporal horizons and in different cultures? Cultural processes on how value is attached to things, and how value is re-established, are still little understood. The case studies in this volume, originating from anthropology and archaeology, provide innovative and differentiated answers to these questions. However, for all contributions there are some common basic assumptions. One of these concerns the understanding that it is rarely the value of the material itself that matters for high valuation, but rather the appreciation of the (assumed or constructed) origin of certain objects or their connection with certain social structures. A second of these shared insights addresses the ubiquity of phenomena of 'value in things'. There is no society without valued objects. As a rule, valuation is something negotiated or even disputed. Value arises through social action, whereby it is always necessary to ask anew which actors are interested in the value of certain objects (or in their appreciation). This also works the other way round: Who are those actors who question corresponding objective values and why?
The Chertsey Tiles, the Crusades, and Global Textile Motifs
Author: Amanda Luyster
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009353152
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 195
Book Description
While visual cultures mingled comfortably along the silk roads and on the shores of the Mediterranean, medieval England has sometimes been viewed – by both medieval and more recent writers – as isolated. In this Element the author introduces new evidence to show that this understanding of medieval England's visual relationship to the rest of the world demands revision. An international team led by the author has completed a digital reconstruction of the so-called Chertsey combat tiles (sophisticated pictorial floor tiles made c. 1250, England), including both images and lost Latin texts. Grounded in the discoveries made while completing this reconstruction, the author proposes new conclusions regarding the historical circumstances within which the Chertsey tiles were commissioned and their significant connections with global textile traditions.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009353152
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 195
Book Description
While visual cultures mingled comfortably along the silk roads and on the shores of the Mediterranean, medieval England has sometimes been viewed – by both medieval and more recent writers – as isolated. In this Element the author introduces new evidence to show that this understanding of medieval England's visual relationship to the rest of the world demands revision. An international team led by the author has completed a digital reconstruction of the so-called Chertsey combat tiles (sophisticated pictorial floor tiles made c. 1250, England), including both images and lost Latin texts. Grounded in the discoveries made while completing this reconstruction, the author proposes new conclusions regarding the historical circumstances within which the Chertsey tiles were commissioned and their significant connections with global textile traditions.
Byzantium, Pliska, and the Balkans
Author: Joachim Henning
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110218836
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 764
Book Description
MILLENNIUM pursues an interdisciplinary approach transcending historical eras. The editorial board and the advisory board represent a wide range of disciplines - contributions from art and literary studies are just as welcome as historical, theological and philosophical contributions on both the Latin and Greek and the Oriental cultures. The STUDIES present relevant monographs or collections of papers from across the whole range of topics. The YEARBOOK contains authoritative articles. As the links between the various articles are sketched out in a comprehensive editorial, their diversity is intended to encourage dialogue between the disciplines and national research cultures. MILLENNIUM does not publish individual reviews, but does on occasions produce literature surveys. The languages of publication are principally English and German, but articles in French, Italian and Spanish can also be accommodated.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110218836
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 764
Book Description
MILLENNIUM pursues an interdisciplinary approach transcending historical eras. The editorial board and the advisory board represent a wide range of disciplines - contributions from art and literary studies are just as welcome as historical, theological and philosophical contributions on both the Latin and Greek and the Oriental cultures. The STUDIES present relevant monographs or collections of papers from across the whole range of topics. The YEARBOOK contains authoritative articles. As the links between the various articles are sketched out in a comprehensive editorial, their diversity is intended to encourage dialogue between the disciplines and national research cultures. MILLENNIUM does not publish individual reviews, but does on occasions produce literature surveys. The languages of publication are principally English and German, but articles in French, Italian and Spanish can also be accommodated.
Regna and Gentes
Author: Hans-Werner Goetz
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004125248
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 720
Book Description
This book is the first comprehensive and comparative study of the difficult relationship between ethnic identities and political organisation in the post-Roman and early medieval kingdoms. 16 authors (historians, archaeologists and linguists) deal with ten important kingdoms of this period and with its political and legal context.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004125248
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 720
Book Description
This book is the first comprehensive and comparative study of the difficult relationship between ethnic identities and political organisation in the post-Roman and early medieval kingdoms. 16 authors (historians, archaeologists and linguists) deal with ten important kingdoms of this period and with its political and legal context.
The Velestino Hoard
Author: Florin Curta
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030048462
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 243
Book Description
This book examines the remarkable Velestino hoard, found in Thessaly in the 1920s, and analyses the light that this collection of artifacts sheds on a poorly studied period of Byzantine history, and on largely neglected aspects of Byzantine civilization. Many collections of Byzantine gold- and silverware, such as Vrap and Seuso, have been surrounded by controversy. None, however, has been under more suspicion than the Velestino hoard, particularly with regards to its authenticity. The hoard contains no gold and no silver, and is in fact a collection of bronze and leaden plaques, some with human, and others with animal or geometric representations. The authors examine three distinct aspects of the hoard: the iconography of its components, the method of its production, and the function of those components. The conclusions that they reached provide valuable new insights into eighth-century Byzantine culture. The book explores the Byzantine cultural and political context of the Velestino hoard and will appeal to historians and art historians of early Byzantium, as well as archaeologists and historians of early medieval technologies.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030048462
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 243
Book Description
This book examines the remarkable Velestino hoard, found in Thessaly in the 1920s, and analyses the light that this collection of artifacts sheds on a poorly studied period of Byzantine history, and on largely neglected aspects of Byzantine civilization. Many collections of Byzantine gold- and silverware, such as Vrap and Seuso, have been surrounded by controversy. None, however, has been under more suspicion than the Velestino hoard, particularly with regards to its authenticity. The hoard contains no gold and no silver, and is in fact a collection of bronze and leaden plaques, some with human, and others with animal or geometric representations. The authors examine three distinct aspects of the hoard: the iconography of its components, the method of its production, and the function of those components. The conclusions that they reached provide valuable new insights into eighth-century Byzantine culture. The book explores the Byzantine cultural and political context of the Velestino hoard and will appeal to historians and art historians of early Byzantium, as well as archaeologists and historians of early medieval technologies.
Creativity in the Bronze Age
Author: Lise Bender Jørgensen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110838367X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
Creativity is an integral part of human history, yet most studies focus on the modern era, leaving unresolved questions about the formative role that creativity has played in the past. This book explores the fundamental nature of creativity in the European Bronze Age. Considering developments in crafts that we take for granted today, such as pottery, textiles, and metalwork, the volume compares and contrasts various aspects of their development, from the construction of the materials themselves, through the production processes, to the design and effects deployed in finished objects. It explores how creativity is closely related to changes in material culture, how it directs responses to the new and unfamiliar, and how it has resulted in changes to familiar things and practices. Written by an international team of scholars, the case studies in this volume consider wider issues and provide detailed insights into creative solutions found in specific objects.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110838367X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
Creativity is an integral part of human history, yet most studies focus on the modern era, leaving unresolved questions about the formative role that creativity has played in the past. This book explores the fundamental nature of creativity in the European Bronze Age. Considering developments in crafts that we take for granted today, such as pottery, textiles, and metalwork, the volume compares and contrasts various aspects of their development, from the construction of the materials themselves, through the production processes, to the design and effects deployed in finished objects. It explores how creativity is closely related to changes in material culture, how it directs responses to the new and unfamiliar, and how it has resulted in changes to familiar things and practices. Written by an international team of scholars, the case studies in this volume consider wider issues and provide detailed insights into creative solutions found in specific objects.