Plague, climate and faith in Early Medieval Western Britain: Investigating narratives of change

Comeau, Rhiannon, Seaman, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6441-4451 and Bloxam, Anna 2023. Plague, climate and faith in Early Medieval Western Britain: Investigating narratives of change. Medieval Archaeology 67 (1) , pp. 1-28. 10.1080/00766097.2023.2204655

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Abstract

Recently compiled datasets for hillforts and corn-drying kilns in the west of Britain, when subject to chronological analysis using Kernel Density Estimation, show a sharp and lasting fall-off in activity in the later 6th and 7th centuries. We investigate this through the regional and broader evidence for three major paradigms of change at this time: the Justinianic plague, climate change and the growth of Christianity, the last manifested in transfers of land to churches and in an ascetism which affects assembly practices. The resultant analysis provides archaeologically-derived insights into social changes of this period, and raises questions about the applicability of dominant narratives framed in other regions.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	0076-6097
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 October 2022
Date of Acceptance:	28 October 2022
Last Modified:	26 Dec 2024 02:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/153847

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