The Great Divide
Ethnicity and identity have formed a major focus in late antique early medieval archaeology history. Wide-ranging debates between the so-called Vienna Toronto Schools had massive impacts beyond history, as has famous project, The Transformation of Roman World.1 Here, new paradigm emerged, slowly substituting previous ‘decline-and-fall’ ideas world with that ‘transformation’. study Antiquity Middle Ages West is thus very much entangled research on identity, ethnicity, grand narratives, such transformation or decline, ‘Germanic’ barbarian invasions. These influential concepts should not be underestimated art visual culture they too frame historical scenes which history set. Since mid-2000s, there been debates, mostly (but solely) triggered by Heather, Ward-Perkins, Halsall.2 question extent to ethnicity played significant role use material culture, it can thereby identified archaeological record, widely, often intensely, debated across archaeology.3 however, embarked different tangent. Largely ignoring recent archaeology, most scholars still emphasise function images fostering perceptions religion.4 But why does remain pervasive terminology?
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