Materiality and cultural formation
Paul Fouracre
The medieval world is often characterized as an entity bound together by shared theological certainties. With one eye fixed on salvation, persons supposedly privileged the spiritual over material and perceived their ecology landscape but dimly, through ‘the idealized lens of doctrine ritual’ according to Benjamin Graham, authors in this themed issue Early Medieval Europe. five papers review article published here, take with idea that evolution culture was simply driven a need conform norms within landscape. It can be shown various ways it conditions might shape cultural response, rather than vice versa, for not possible unify experience religion across varied climates physiography European landmass. Thomas Pickles picks out essential point relation ‘Anglo-Saxon’ farming his Allen Frantzen’s work: ‘English England did make English landscape, early Britain had crucial role making English.’ points scholars are still problem exceptionalism, bothered question whether there continuity or break settlement patterns post-Roman period. There no basic agreement what constituted farm nucleated lowland Britain. other Europe start from global, case farming, local immediately hand. Graham elucidates olive oil, preferred provision lighting churches. Material here determined oil best suited keeping light burning day night church. quality and, initially, its availability, allowed Christians up Mosaic injunction keep before altar at all times, ability do just powered Carolingian notions priesthood. In my paper ‘Lights Moral Economy’, I further setting way which control materials needed provide these eternal lights gave those power added legitimacy came facilitating religious activity. Society increasingly organized around activity, organization driver. A society based taxation bureaucratic direction may have been transformed into that, period, more resembled theocracy, remained urge commodify elements religion, including salvation itself. Widening participation moral economy would enable new political order evolve. her turn, Julia Smith draws evidence relic labels tackle commodification. Demonstrating materiality devotion saints, she shows how sometimes-tiny concrete form saints different centuries. They provided link between saint substance, both label relics could tweaked bring them line contemporary imagination given should like. Again, prompts were show eternity. Jamie Kreiner, contrast Smith’s micro study labels, sets discussion about importance pigs against wider formation cultures, social status, justice metaphysics. ‘Pigs’, Kreiner argues, ‘convert organisms spaces commodities.’ Pigs converted fodder flesh acted excellent model resource management. augmentation fattening made establishment lordship. Giving receiving instrumental determination property rights obligations owners tenants. links described myself: degree consensus responsibility built pig’s grow large, also capacity harm. last issue, Lukas Werther Jinty Nelson (with Franz Herzig, Johannes Schmidt, Stefanie Berg, Peter Ettel, Sven Linzen, Christoph Zielhofer) convergence written sources archaeological excavation shed Charlemagne’s attempt dig canal Rhine Danube river systems, former draining North Sea latter Black Sea. took place year 793. project failed, explain, dendrochronology planks work stopped site exactly moment Annals said did. episode fossatum magnum, ‘big ditch’, demonstrates idea, almost certainly taken Roman author Vitruvius, put practice. rulers big ideas empire, they acutely aware logistics reform progress. As plan perfect monastery St Gall, wished see expressed form. All converge point: definition culture. created space develop, seen practical purpose
Early Medieval Europe