Medieval Towns
The Archaeology of British Towns in their European Setting
by John Schofield and Alan Vince
This classic archaeological study of medieval British towns has now been expanded by a third to incorporate results from recent surveys and fieldwork. Based on the discoveries of urban archaeological teams over the last 30 years, this book presents an up-to-date synthesis of our knowledge of the medieval town, and urban and spatial interactions in Britain between the 11th and 16th centuries. Each chapter is devoted to a particular topic, including: topographical factors in the growth of towns; houses, properties and streets; crafts and industries; trade and commerce; churches, religious houses and cemeteries; the environment of medieval towns. Throughout, the authors make comparisons with contemporary towns on the Continent in order to demonstrate that `medieval urban archaeology should be a Europe-wide study’. The potential of urban archaeology is discussed in the final chapter.
Archaeologists have shown that towns can claim to be more representative of the nature of society of which they formed part than any other type of site. In towns we are most likely to find archaeological evidence of both long-distance and local trade, of exploitation of natural resources, of specialization and of technological evidence in manufacturing, of social differentiation, of the means of political control, and of the religious aspirations of the population. Medieval Towns is the second and enlarged edition of the book Medieval Towns that was published in 1994 by Continuum. It surveys recent work on the archaeological study of medieval towns in Britain. Its emphasis is on the discoveries by archaeological teams, nearly always on sites to be developed or already under construction. From the vast haul of information now at our disposal, after thirty years of data gathering, we can begin to ask questions of many kinds. What went on in medieval towns? How did the rich and poor live, what nourished them, what did they die of? What was the weather like, the quality of life, the restrictions or special pleasures of living in towns?
- By (author) John Schofield
- By (author) Alan Vince
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