Medieval Europe From Another Angle

The history of East Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe may be considered as alternating between a Marxist emphasis on rigid differences between Antiquity and the Middle Ages, largely derived from distinctive modes of production, and a preoccupation with borders, ethnicity, and personalities. This volume examines a number of economic problems that highlight the limits of the current interpretative models, such as the existence of markets or the relation between trade and gift-giving, largely on the basis of the archaeological evidence from the eastern parts of the European continent. In addition, four other chapters address critically such issues as the images of Charlemagne in East Central Europe and of the Vlachs in the French crusade chronicles, linear frontiers, as well as the significance of St. Christopher in Teutonic Prussia. Medieval Europe from Another Angle will appeal to scholars and students alike studying Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages with an interest in material culture and its use in building ethnic boundaries. It covers a wide geographical area—from Iberia to the Baltic region.