文档介绍：G. ASTILL
ARCHAEOLOGY, ECONOMICS AND EARLY
MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Summary. This paper assesses the contribution Richard Hodges has made to
the archaeological study of the early medieval economy. After a review of
methodology, three themes are considered: reciprocal exchange; the emporia;
and regions and markets. The nature of exchange may be plex, and
more difficult to characterise, than Hodges allows. It is argued that the role of
the king in exchange has been exaggerated, particularly with regard to
Dorestad, while the extent to which inland regions and inland ports were
involved in exchange may have been underestimated; this has led to a false
appreciation of the emporia. Further work is needed to characterise the
economy of the regions of early medieval Europe.
In the last five years medieval archaeo- haps because it offers one of the few
logy has received a fresh, if belated, impetus archaeological interpretations of the early
from the published work of some younger medieval economy. It is worth considering
colleagues. At last medieval archaeologists DAE in some detail not least because it
can consider what the new archaeology raises general methodological problems
holds for them. Particularly prolific has about how archaeologists attempt to under-
been Richard Hodges who, in a series of stand ancient economies. From medieval
articles and two books, has presented an archaeology’s point of view the book is
overview of early medieval Europe that has important for two main reasons. Firstly it
a pronounced theoretical and economic adopts a polemical stance about the value of
emphasis (Hodges 1977; 1978; 1981b; archaeological evidence for studying
1982a; 1982c; Hodges and Whitehouse medieval society. It is the kind of con-
1983). His most sustained treatment is Dark sciousness-raising exercise that has long
Age Economics in which he examines the been needed in medieval archaeology.
development of towns and tr