Mining, Metallurgy and Minting in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1

Asiatic Supremacy, 425-1125

by Ian Blanchard

Book cover: Mining, Metallurgy and Minting in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1

Extent: 550 pages

Publisher: Franz Steiner Verlag

Subjects: Medieval Studies

Language: English

(Hardback) (Published)

(December 2001)

ISBN: 9783515079587

6.65 x 9.45 inches

Price: $152.00

In stock

The first of four volumes, which examine non-ferrous precious and base metal mining, metallurgy and minting in the Middle Ages, encompasses the history of these activities during the years 425-1125. It describes the shift in the focus of world precious metal production from the Western Roman Empire (-350), to the Sassanid and Byzantine Empires (350-650) and Central Asia (480-930). Central Asia dominated for almost half a millennium world precious and base metal production, before output collapsed and an industrial diaspora caused the foci of silver and gold production to shift to Europe and sub-Saharan Africa respectively (930-1125). Mining activity in Central Asia, 480-930 is examined in depth, as is also its impact on local society and the distribution of precious metals from there to China, India and South-east Asia, Asia Minor and, via the Trans-Pontine steppes, to Europe. It also explores the impact of this flow of Sassanid-Islamic silver and gold on European mining and monetary systems, when that trade was at its height (560-930) and the response of the Europeans to the great “Silver Famine” occasioned by the collapse of Central Asian production (930-1125). “es gibt nun eine neue Publikation, die alles zusammenfasst, was wir derzeit uber die Grundlagen der mittelalterlichen Munzpragung wissen, uber die Metallerzeugung und die Pragung. […] eine Fundgrube an interessanten Hintergrundinformationen […] Dieses Buch ist ein absolutes Muss fur jeden, der sich intensiv mit mittelalterlichen Munzen und der damit verbundenen Handelsgeschichte beschaftigen will” Munzen Revue

  • By (author) Ian Blanchard