The 10th century in Western Europe includes eleven essays, ranging from Portugal to Iceland, including Spain, England, Ireland, France and Italy, embracing a variety of methodological approaches and scrutinizing numerous and diverse types of sources, including archaeological finds along with textual evidence such as historical narratives, hagiography, and cartularies.
The contributions revise, challenge and enhance the existing scholarship on early medieval societies and their political and social complexities, while making readers aware of the wide-ranging and intertwined processes which defined change and continuity in tenth-century Western Europe. Essays from both historians and archaeologists achieve a re-reading of a the tenth century, which has been central to the interpretation of the historical development of Europe over the past decade.
Contents
Introduction
Rulers and Resources in Early Medieval Iberia from c.800- c.1009: Umayyad state fiscality and Astur-Leonese landed politics compared – Robert Portass
Constructing Christian Polities in Northwestern Iberia (711-1109): an overview – Maria João Branco
The contributions of the settlement to the understanding of the rural societies of Northern
Gaul in the 10th century – Édith Peytremann
Transforming Rulership in Tenth-Century Ireland: paradigms, problems and prospects – Patrick Gleeson
Assembly practices in Tenth-century England: continuities and innovations in military mobilisation – Stuart Brookes
The creation of a Visigothic past and the territorial expansion of the Kingdom of Asturias-León – Iñaki Martín Viso
Monastic foundations as aristocratic strategies during the 10th century in the North-West Iberian Peninsula. The case of the Eriz family – José Carlos Sánchez Pardo and Marcos Fernández Ferreiro
The Social Reproduction of the Roman aristocracy in the 9th and 10th Centuries. Liutprand of Cremona and the women of the pope – Maddalena Betti
The 10th century in central-northern Portugal: changing scales of power – Catarina Tente
The formation of a native elite: The case of 10th century Iceland – Orri Vésteinsson
Is there room enough for a change? 10th century historical narratives’concepts of change – Marie-Céline Isaïa
Change and continuity in tenth century Western Europe: A conclusion – Igor Santos Salazar