Close to Home or Far Away? Exploring identity in early Medieval Suffolk
Paper by Justine Biddle
Given at Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference in Cardiff, on December 19, 2017
What do changes in the material expression of identity tell us about social dynamics in 5th to 9th century Eastern England? Do wider geographic patterns show influences shifting from east to west, or is societal change a localized process?
This research uses comparative analysis of over 4,000 metal artefacts from Suffolk to understand these patterns against the background of a rapidly changing political world. The rise of kingdoms, the increasing importance of overseas connections and migrations to and from Europe, and local versus national economics will all have played a part in influencing local identity. Is this influence equal in all centuries of the early Medieval period or are there different dynamics in play at each stage?
Close to Home or Far Away? Exploring identity in early Medieval Suffolk
Paper by Justine Biddle
Given at Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference in Cardiff, on December 19, 2017
What do changes in the material expression of identity tell us about social dynamics in 5th to 9th century Eastern England? Do wider geographic patterns show influences shifting from east to west, or is societal change a localized process?
This research uses comparative analysis of over 4,000 metal artefacts from Suffolk to understand these patterns against the background of a rapidly changing political world. The rise of kingdoms, the increasing importance of overseas connections and migrations to and from Europe, and local versus national economics will all have played a part in influencing local identity. Is this influence equal in all centuries of the early Medieval period or are there different dynamics in play at each stage?
Justine Biddle is a Graduate student at the University of Central Lancashire. Click here to view her Academia.edu page.
Top Image: Map of Suffolk from the 17th century by Jan Janssonius
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