The pot, knife and the ring: an archaeology of later medieval material culture

Gerrard, Christopher; O'Donnell, Ronan

Abstract

During the Middle Ages most people lived in the countryside. The residents of towns and elite sites and consumers of high-culture and high-art remained a minority, though they grew in numbers throughout the period. The mass of rural people features only very rarely in literary sources, though Piers the Ploughman and some of Chaucer’s characters are notable exceptions. To understand the culture of these rural dwellers we must turn at least in part to archaeology, not only because it offers a key source for testing or correcting inferences from difficult historical sources like court rolls, but also because material culture was itself implicated in the formation and reproduction of rural culture in medieval Britain. This chapter provides an overview of artefacts from both deserted and currently occupied medieval settlements. Dress accessories such as rings, buckles and brooches are regularly found on rural sites.

Citation

Gerrard, C., & O'Donnell, R. (2021). The pot, knife and the ring: an archaeology of later medieval material culture. In M. Müller (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Medieval Rural Life. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003194866-25

• Online Publication Date: Oct 27, 2021
• Publication Date: Jul 15, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 24, 2024
• Publisher: Routledge
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Book Title: The Routledge Handbook of Medieval Rural Life
• Chapter Number: 20
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003194866-25
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2163286