Life on the Edge: Social, Political and Religious Frontiers in Early Medieval Europe. Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung, 2017
By definition, liminal spaces exist outside the sphere of normal everyday activity — they form ‘t... more By definition, liminal spaces exist outside the sphere of normal everyday activity — they form ‘thresholds’ of or between different structures and behaviours; but there are many instances in Anglo-Saxon England where liminal locations can be recognised as important loci of social, political and legal interaction, as gateways that simultaneously divide and unite. This function is very clearly displayed in the positioning of sites of public assembly on major regional or national boundaries. This paper uses historical, archaeological and toponymic evidence to examine this ‘liminal centrality’ and the importance of thresholds in defining political groups and the geography of Anglo-Saxon England.
Venues of outdoorr assembly are an important type of archaeological site. Using the example of ea... more Venues of outdoorr assembly are an important type of archaeological site. Using the example of early medieval (Anglo-Saxon; 5th–11th centuries A.D.) meeting places in England we describe a new multidisciplinary method for identifying and characterizing such sites. This method employs place name studies, field survey, and phenomenological approaches such as viewshed, sound-mark, and landscape character recording. While each site may comprise a unique combination of landscape features, it is argued that by applying criteria of accessibility, distinctiveness, functionality, and location, important patterns in the characteristics of outdoor assembly places emerge. Our observations relating to Anglo-Saxon meeting places have relevance to other ephemeral sites. Archaeological fieldwork can benefit greatly by a rigorous application of evidence from place name studies and folklore/oral history to the question of outdoor assembly sites. Also, phenomenological approaches are important in assessing the choice of assembly places by past peoples.
Life on the Edge: Social, Political and Religious Frontiers in Early Medieval Europe. Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung, 2017
By definition, liminal spaces exist outside the sphere of normal everyday activity — they form ‘t... more By definition, liminal spaces exist outside the sphere of normal everyday activity — they form ‘thresholds’ of or between different structures and behaviours; but there are many instances in Anglo-Saxon England where liminal locations can be recognised as important loci of social, political and legal interaction, as gateways that simultaneously divide and unite. This function is very clearly displayed in the positioning of sites of public assembly on major regional or national boundaries. This paper uses historical, archaeological and toponymic evidence to examine this ‘liminal centrality’ and the importance of thresholds in defining political groups and the geography of Anglo-Saxon England.
Venues of outdoorr assembly are an important type of archaeological site. Using the example of ea... more Venues of outdoorr assembly are an important type of archaeological site. Using the example of early medieval (Anglo-Saxon; 5th–11th centuries A.D.) meeting places in England we describe a new multidisciplinary method for identifying and characterizing such sites. This method employs place name studies, field survey, and phenomenological approaches such as viewshed, sound-mark, and landscape character recording. While each site may comprise a unique combination of landscape features, it is argued that by applying criteria of accessibility, distinctiveness, functionality, and location, important patterns in the characteristics of outdoor assembly places emerge. Our observations relating to Anglo-Saxon meeting places have relevance to other ephemeral sites. Archaeological fieldwork can benefit greatly by a rigorous application of evidence from place name studies and folklore/oral history to the question of outdoor assembly sites. Also, phenomenological approaches are important in assessing the choice of assembly places by past peoples.
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studies, field survey, and phenomenological approaches such as viewshed, sound-mark, and landscape character recording. While each site may comprise a unique combination of landscape features, it is argued that by applying criteria of accessibility, distinctiveness, functionality, and location, important patterns in the characteristics of outdoor assembly places emerge. Our observations relating to Anglo-Saxon meeting places have relevance to other ephemeral sites. Archaeological fieldwork can benefit greatly by a rigorous application of evidence from place name studies and folklore/oral history to the question of outdoor assembly sites. Also, phenomenological approaches are important in assessing the choice of assembly places by past peoples.
studies, field survey, and phenomenological approaches such as viewshed, sound-mark, and landscape character recording. While each site may comprise a unique combination of landscape features, it is argued that by applying criteria of accessibility, distinctiveness, functionality, and location, important patterns in the characteristics of outdoor assembly places emerge. Our observations relating to Anglo-Saxon meeting places have relevance to other ephemeral sites. Archaeological fieldwork can benefit greatly by a rigorous application of evidence from place name studies and folklore/oral history to the question of outdoor assembly sites. Also, phenomenological approaches are important in assessing the choice of assembly places by past peoples.