The Scandinavians from the Vendel Period to the Tenth Century - (Studies in Historical Archaeoethnology) by Judith Jesch (Paperback)

About the Book

Ethnographic studies trace the background to and impact of urbanisation and Christianisation, and the development of royal power, which stimulated the transition from the Viking age to the medieval period.

Book Synopsis

Using the evidence of archaeology, poetry, legal texts and annals, this volume investigates the social, economic and symbolic structures of early Scandinavia at the time of the Viking expansion. The contributors provide an outline ethnography, covering dwellings and settlements, kinship and social relations, law, political structures and external relations, rural and urban economies, and the ideology of warfare. The topics are discussed through case-studies, illustrating the changing scholarly interpretations of this formative period in Scandinavian history. By addressing these key research questions, the contributions trace the background to and the impact of urbanisation and Christianisation, and the development of royal power, which stimulated the transition from the Viking age to the medieval period in Scandinavia.

Review Quotes

Illuminating and revealing.... Along with the rest of the series this is a welcome addition to the library shelf, and a book to which reference will regularly be made.-- "SAGA-BOOK"