scholarly journals Archaeological settlement research for the late Middle Ages in Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Marciniak-Kajzer
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Late Middle Ages

Archaeological settlement research in Poland has to date not been conducted on a large scale. The remains of medieval villages have usually been excavated when rescue works were required by construction projects – usually along the routes of planned highways. Traces of farming have been discovered only by chance, and research on the distribution of land uses has mainly been carried out by geographers. In a few cases, survey excavations of rural settlements have been carried out in the vicinity of defensive structures being investigated. In cities, even long-term studies have basically been limited to researching only the densely built-up zone, the market square, and defensive walls. Neither agricultural land owned by townsfolk nor the zones outside the city proper that they used economically have been examined. The surface research resulting from the campaign Archeologiczne Zdjęcie Polski – AZP (Polish Archaeological Record) is of little use for the late Middle Ages, firstly because artefacts from that period were not collected at the beginning of the research, and also because of a specific aspect of cultivation (fertilisation), which saw a considerable carrying of movable cultural artefacts out from built-up areas. These weaknesses resulted from various factors. First of all, there was a lack of interest in such research among not only historical preservation services but also archaeologists themselves. However, the main factor was the significant financial outlays that such research requires. Currently, archaeology has many techniques at its disposal that allow large areas to be studied and that thus allow archaeological sites to be identified and preliminarily investigated. Aerial laser scanning and ground-based geophysical methods provide much valuable data and, above all, allow places requiring excavation to be accurately identified. Unfortunately, deeming such methods to sufficiently record sites can sometimes mean that they constitute the first and only archaeological survey of a site. Then there are problems of dating such sites and, of course, we do not acquire many of the movable cultural objects that research on medieval society demands.

Pottery Complex of the Second Half 13th – First Half 15th Centuries from Excavations in Kamianets-Podilskyi

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
pp. 136-179
Author(s):  
Pavlo Nechytaylo ◽  
◽  
Olena Onohda ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
Late Middle Ages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Culture Development

The paper analyses ceramics and buildings remains of the second half 13th – first half 15th centuries, coming from excavations in Kamianets-Podilskyi. It aims to introduce materials into scientific circulation, to compare the collection with synchronous objects from adjacent territories, to trace interactions in the material culture development in late medieval towns. Ceramics of the Golden Horde and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania times began to be systematically researched relatively recently in Ukraine. Thus, the materials from Kamianets-Podilskyi contribute to deepening our knowledge of less-known periods in the history of Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Materials analyzed were obtained during rescue archaeological research on the Polish Market square in Kamianets. These were fragmented parts of underground and aboveground building structures, as well as a collection of various household items. Building materials were mostly local clays and loam, less often wood and stone were used. A set of clay ‘roll’ blocks set in one of the pits allows us to assume similarity with the Golden Horde building technologies. Finds of coins and Crimean polychrome bowls fragments also indicate the complex emerged during the Golden Horde period. However, certain groups of pottery and coins of European minting define the complex upper date within the first half 15th century. Diverse ceramic types range from the complex is an interesting local typological phenomenon. It reflects mutual influences of the pottery traditions development both in time and space. After processing artefacts collection, the main groups of pottery were identified according to technological features. Some of them are rooted in the local ancient Rus’ traditions, others were formed under the influence of Western trends, while samples of a ‘specific’ group were common for almost the entire territory of modern Ukraine during Late Middle Ages. Pots collection was preliminary systematized up to 5 most common types selection, based on rim profiles. Many of them have a wide range of analogies, locally from Kamianets, as well as from the Western Ukraine, in Poland, Moldova and Romania. In addition to pots, the collection includes other types of kitchen and tableware, such as makitras, lids, jars and other single samples of ceramics. The typological diversity correlates with the multi-layered processes which took place in Kamianets-Podilskyi life during the Golden Horde and the Lithuanian periods. Materials from the complex, as well as other finds from synchronous objects within the city, deepen our understanding of the city’s development large-scale picture, which, however, requires further research.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT BANK OF THE URTEMKA RIVER MOUTH (THE KOZHEVNIKOVSKY DISTRICT OF THE TOMSK REGION)

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 151-158
Author(s):  
BORODOVSKIY A. ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Left Bank ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
Late Middle Ages ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Ceramic Vessels

The article is devoted to a review of the archaeological survey results of the left bank of the Urtamka River mouth (the Kozhevnikovsky District of the Tomsk Oblast). The purpose of the research was to localize the station of the Urtam ostrog, marked on the map of 1701 by S.U. Remezov, located on the left bank of the Urtamka River. The survey of this territory made it possible to detect an elevated area (Urtamskoe-II), fenced on three sides by a sub-square ditch 2 m wide and 0.4 m deep. The total dimension of the fence was 200 m, which formally correlates with the perimeter of the Urtam ostrog, indicated in a written source of the late 17th century (1687). However, the archaeological study of the ditch section and the inner fenced area of the newly identified fortified settlement Urtamskoe-II did not reveal the cross-section of the ditch and the foundations of the log wall that are characteristic for the Early New Time. Such results complicate their connection with the Urtam ostrog. In addition, the osteological materials and fragments of the rims of ceramic vessels from the Irmen culture (Late Bronze Age) were found in the cultural layer of the discovered settlement. It should be noted that for the territories occupied by several archaeologically investigated ostrogs (Tomsky, Umrevinsky, Sayansky, etc.), the facts of the discovery of the earlier archaeological materials are quite typical. However, the ditch fence of the sub-square outlines of the residential area of the fortified settlement Urtamskoe-II significantly distinguishes it from the nearest Irmen settlement of the Baturino-1. Fencing with a “П” shaped moat are more typical for the settlements of the late Middle Ages on the territory of neighboring Baraba (Tyumenka, Chinyaikha). In general, the archaeological research carried out reflected the general tendency which is the complexity of localizing the ostrog as an archaeological site. Keywords: archaeological exploration, Upper Ob Region, ancient settlements, settlements, ostrog

The Cotton Industry of Northern Italy in the Late Middle Ages: 1150–1450

1972 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 262-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Fennell Mazzaoui
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Cotton Cloth ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Late Middle Ages ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Single Production ◽  
High Degree

In studies of the late medieval economy, the dominant position of the textile industry has long been recognized. Since the opening decades of this century however, scholarly attention has been directed almost exclusively toward the luxury industries of silk and fine woolens, which involved a complex financial and commercial structure geared to the satisfaction of the needs and desires of a wealthy and select clientele. Relatively neglected is that branch of the textile industry devoted to the production of low-priced cotton cloth for popular consumption. This neglect is all the more surprising in view of a rich if somewhat dispersed documentation attesting to the importance of this industry in numerous towns of Northern Italy. The large-scale production of cotton cloth posed problems of financing and organization not unlike those of silk and wool and gave rise to similar entrepreneurial forms. At the same time a study of the organization of cotton manufacture provides a number of unique insights into aspects of economic organization in Northern Italy. In the period covered by this paper, the cotton manufacturing centers of this area formed a single production zone characterized by a high degree of economic interdependence and a marked tendency toward the standardization of products.

scholarly journals Drift sands, lakes, and soils: the multiphase Holocene history of the Laarder Wasmeren area near Hilversum, the Netherlands

2013 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sevink ◽  
E.A. Koster ◽  
B. van Geel ◽  
J. Wallinga
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Groundwater Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
Late Middle Ages ◽  
The Stability

AbstractA unique complex of multiphased Holocene drift sands and paleosols, with at least two lacustrine phases, was discovered during a major sanitation project in the Laarder Wasmeren area near Hilversum, the Netherlands. The complex could be studied in detail, highly facilitated by the excellent and large-scale exposure of the various deposits and soils. OSL dating was used to establish ages of the phases, where possible differentiating between time of deposition and time of burial by taking into account the potential effects of bioturbation. Pollen analysis served to reconstruct the vegetation during the various phases.A first minor phase of aeolian activity already started before approx. 5,000 BC, followed around 4,000 BC by a second phase and a rather massive third phase around 3,000 BC. After a long phase of soil formation, the latest, massive drift sand phase started around the 14th to 15th century. It clearly represents the classic drift sand phase that started in the Late Middle Ages in the Netherlands. Sand drifting followed on soil forming phases during which the vegetation became increasingly dominated by ericaceous plants and culminated in heathlands. The first three aeolian phases and associated heathlands are much older than generally assumed for heathland and drift sand to occur in the Netherlands. Moreover, podzolisation was found to have started very early, true podzols already occurring before 4,000 BC.Around 3,000 BC groundwater in the area reached a maximum altitude of about 230 cm +NAP, resulting in local open water in the area. This rise is probably linked to the development of the Dutch coastal area, where at that time peat accumulated and drainage was poor, inducing a rise of the groundwater level in ‘het Gooi’. This groundwater level fell later on, to never reach this altitude again. The Groot Wasmeer was formed by local stagnation on a slowly permeable podzol and already reached a level of 320-325 cm +NAP by 400 BC, which more or less equals its 20thcentury level.The results demonstrate that earlier concepts on the occurrence and age of aeolian phases, podzols and heathland vegetations in the Netherlands are far too schematic, and that early, pre-agricultural cultures may already have had an impact on the stability of fragile cover sand landscapes, e.g. through burning. Results are in line with those from several contemporary studies on early prehistoric cultures and their impact in river dune areas in the Central and Eastern Netherlands.

Changing Rural Settlements in the Early Middle Ages in Central and Northern Italy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Valenti
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Wealth Accumulation ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Urban Markets ◽  
Rural Sites

Archaeological sites of this period reveal the continued existence of a very ruralized society. The countryside, subject to a significant strengthening of economic control, was the primary source of wealth and success for the middle and upper social strata that invested in it. Choosing to optimize the exploitation of agricultural land led defining settlements in a more urban way. Since rural sites were the spaces where the labour force was ‘anchored’, they were often fortified to protect assets. Examples include both large lay and ecclesiastical aristocratic landowners and more local elites all over Italy. In the vast majority of cases we have fortified villages that are, in fact, agricultural holdings (manorial estates). In any context, the signs of material power exercised by a dominant figure include the management and a very pronounced control of activities, goods, foodstuffs, and labour, which find their counterpart in features and topography of rural centres. Settlements where production is aimed at wealth accumulation, often defended even from insiders by separating the spaces of power from those of the peasant masses, are frequently observed archaeologically. This is evidenced by the structural changes taking place both in the villages and in the single residential building types, serving as signs of a significant effort devoted to the centralization of production means (animals, tools, craft-shops), in order to increase what appears to be the main objective of landed elites: managing territorial resources in order to store foodstuffs, not only for personal consumption but also for to sell them in urban markets; in other words, to produce wealth.

The church in the West Highlands in the late middle ages

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-46
Author(s):  
A. D. M. Barrell
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
The West ◽  
Late Middle Ages ◽  
The Church

Partnerships Generate Co-Benefits in Agricultural Stream Restoration (Canterbury, New Zealand)

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Febria ◽  
Maggie Bayfield ◽  
Kathryn E. Collins ◽  
Hayley S. Devlin ◽  
Brandon C. Goeller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Reduced Pressure ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Riparian Management ◽  
Scale Change ◽  
Large Scale Change

In Aotearoa New Zealand, agricultural land-use intensification and decline in freshwater ecosystem integrity pose complex challenges for science and society. Despite riparian management programmes across the country, there is frustration over a lack in widespread uptake, upfront financial costs, possible loss in income, obstructive legislation and delays in ecological recovery. Thus, social, economic and institutional barriers exist when implementing and assessing agricultural freshwater restoration. Partnerships are essential to overcome such barriers by identifying and promoting co-benefits that result in amplifying individual efforts among stakeholder groups into coordinated, large-scale change. Here, we describe how initial progress by a sole farming family at the Silverstream in the Canterbury region, South Island, New Zealand, was used as a catalyst for change by the Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment, a university-led restoration research project. Partners included farmers, researchers, government, industry, treaty partners (Indigenous rights-holders) and practitioners. Local capacity and capability was strengthened with practitioner groups, schools and the wider community. With partnerships in place, co-benefits included lowered costs involved with large-scale actions (e.g., earth moving), reduced pressure on individual farmers to undertake large-scale change (e.g., increased participation and engagement), while also legitimising the social contracts for farmers, scientists, government and industry to engage in farming and freshwater management. We describe contributions and benefits generated from the project and describe iterative actions that together built trust, leveraged and aligned opportunities. These actions were scaled from a single farm to multiple catchments nationally.

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