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Silver Beyond Empire
0 - Default Title
Description
While parts of temperate Europe favoured gold, silver was the most important precious metal in northern Britain for over 700 years (c.200-900). Silver was introduced to Scotland by Rome (via subsidies, military pay, diplomacy and loot), first as denarii and later as hacksilver, and rapidly became a vital means of expressing power and prestige in the lands beyond this frontier. Indeed, silver's Imperial connotations may have been a key part of its attraction. The supply of silver declined with the diminishing influence of the western Roman Empire and this dwindling resource needed to be carefully managed and recycled by early Medieval societies.
Together National Museums Scotland and Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie created an international research network of specialists working on silver from the 4th-6th centuries with a focus on the North Sea region. This volume of papers results from meetings of the network in Edinburgh and Schleswig that explored the role of silver in the crucial transition from the late Roman Empire, with barbaricum beyond its frontiers, to early Medieval Europe and the peoples and polities that many modern European nations trace their origins back to. It aims to provide the first comparative, international and cross-disciplinary study of this powerful and valuable material during a pivotal period in Europe's history. It also provides the first full catalogues of a number of important but poorly understood hacksilver hoards from the UK: Norrie's Law (Fife), Gaulcross (Aberdeenshire), Tummel Bridge (Perthshire) and Patching (Sussex).
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
454
Release Date:
2025-12-18
Publication Date:
2025-12-31
Publisher:
Sidestone Press
Languages:
Original:
English
ISBN10:
9464264101
ISBN13:
9789464264104
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
Weight:
1889 g
Height:
215 cm
Width:
286 cm
Thickness:
34 cm
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