Time and Location

T 7:20-10:10 PM

CBD 216

Description

No other topic has witnessed a more dramatic explosion of research in the last few years than the economy and society of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Today, we speak of the “Pirenne thesis” as an outdated model of understanding the very complex transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. In the last three decades, new approaches to documentary history, but especially the hundredfold growth of archaeological studies have transformed beyond recognition the study of the social and economic history of the period betweeen 300 and 800. New questions have emerged and scholars have increasingly moved towards a comparative approach. This course will focus upon the history of the late antique and early medieval economy and society and, more specifically, the recent breakthroughs in the historiography of the problem. Comparative analysis is the main development in recent years, and the course is intended to familiarize students with that approach.  Through reading and discussion of a variety of issues and regions, we will come to some understanding of the workings of late-antique and early medieval economy and society.

The course has three objectives. The first is to introduce you to some of the major issues of early medieval history: trade and coins; the rise of new aristocracies; emporia (“ports-of-trade”); kingdoms and communities; the archaeology of late antique and early medieval social change. These issues should provide a broad understanding of important trends in medieval history which will enable you to formulate more specialized research projects during graduate work in European history. Such a broad understanding can also serve as the foundation for preparation in undergraduate teaching. The second objective is to present the continuing, often heated historiographic debates surrounding those issues. Students will read some “classic” texts, as well as more current literature, reflecting recent historical perspectives. The final objective will be to offer you an opportunity to develop and improve skills in bibliographic development and most important oral and written skills in the critical evaluation of historical texts.