Migration in the Crusades to the Medieval Middle East

Mitchell, PD; Millard, AR

Abstract

THE CRUSADES to the Middle East were a momentous time in the history of the medieval world. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans travelled to the eastern Mediterranean either in military expeditions,as pilgrims, or for trade. Many settled there and lived in the Frankish states, which were established along the coast on land that is now part of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Cyprus (Setton 1955–89). It is important for us to know where the European settlers lived and how well they integrated with the local population. This information can be used to understand the structure of the armies of the Frankish states, the new judicial legislation created there, religious life in holy sites, discrimination and tolerance between invading and indigenous communities, and population health inequalities (Mitchell 2004). Attempts have been made using historical methods to determine the population structure of these Frankish states in the Latin East (Ellenblum 1996). However, there are large gaps in the historical record; this project attempts to bridge them using archaeological methods, with dental isotope analysis.

Citation

Mitchell, P., & Millard, A. (2007). Migration in the Crusades to the Medieval Middle East. Review (British Academy. Online), 10, 24-25

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Deposit Date: May 12, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2011
• Journal: Review
• Print ISSN: 2047-1866
• Electronic ISSN: 2047-1874
• Publisher: British Academy
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Pages: 24-25
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1508499
• Publisher URL: http://www.britac.ac.uk/pubs/review/10/index.cfm