5: Trade and summary of 500-800 society (Nature of society 500-800) Flashcards
Summary of the period 500- 800
There was a general increase in population which was driven by an improvement in farming technology and which led to a greater societal stratification, and gradations of lordship.
How many grades of society were there?
7
What were the bottom two grades of society
Bóaire (cow lord) and Ócaire (young lord)– these were both little more than peasants
Who promulgated the idea of emporium?
the archaeologist Richard Hodges, and he has identified such emporia across western europe, particularly the north sea region
He categorises them as either type A or type B
Discuss the rough idea of emporium…
It is usually a gateway community on a frontier/ border between kingdoms in some way, which makes it politically neutral and practical too
What is a type A emporia?
Type A is more of a temporary affair, like foreign traders arriving seasonally at a particular location (such as is depicted in the Icelandic sagas).
BUT– there is not much evidence for these type of emporia in ireland
What is a type B emporia?
more of a permanent and planned affair with purpose built streets and crafting areas. Has numbers of both foreign and local merchants.
What is the classic version of a type B emporia found in Ireland?
Dublin
– but this type of emporia is not really seen until the viking age
Why would kings have wanted to promulgate/ get involved in/ set up trade/ emporia?
Seems kings recognised the importance of foreign trade
monopolising trade would have let them distribute value items and build relationships with clients and underlings.
what is long distance trade closely associated with?
High status sites like Crannogs– which suggests that trade had started to become monopolised
what foreign finds have been found in Ireland?
We have finds of E-ware pottery which was probably imported from gaul (or somewhere similar) and likely contained wine or oil
also have metalwork evidence and some frankish swords
Archaeologist who tried to apply hodges’ theory to irish context
David Griffiths
What was Griffith’s conclusion?
1) Type A are difficult to spot in Ireland
2) E-ware pottery could have just arrived through singular entrepreneurial merchants
3) BUT the fact that these foreign finds are so often found clustered in areas we knew were royal suggests that kings may have had some form of role in this
What could have worked in tandem with the secular promulgation of trade?
The church
