MEDIEVAL

How Social Networks Shaped Imperial Policy By Joshua Powell

Reexamines Justinian's ecclesiastical policy. Since the time of Eduard Schwartz, scholars have tended to treat ecclesiastical policy under the influence of Justinian as inconsistent and even capricious. To this day Justinian is depicted as a pragmatist, ready to support different and even contradictory confessions in an effort to see the unity of his Empire. This book argues that such an image of Justinian, although seeming to provide a coherent narrative concerning the emperor’s character, falls apart when the details of each of these episodes are scrutinised.

By Christopher Eimer

Explores the significance of a bronze relief of Mehmet the Conqueror. The fall of Constantinople on 29 May 1453 heralded the dawn of the early modern period and bring universal recognition to the man forever known as Mehmet the Conqueror, or Sultan Mehmet II (1432-1481); who at the age of twenty-one had brought the millennium-old Byzantine empire to an end. Little material evidence has survived from the formative period of Mehmet's life, and so the circular portrait relief of the sultan discussed in this book is of great interest.

A joint fieldwork project by the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handcraft and Tourism Organisation and the Universities of Edinburgh and Durham (2014-2016) Edited by Eberhard Sauer (University of Edinburgh), Jebrael Nokandeh (National Museum of Iran) and Hamid Omrani Rekavandi

Explores the role of Iranian fortresses on the Romano-Persian frontier. Which ancient army boasted the largest fortifications, and how did the competitive build-up of military capabilities shape world history? Imperial Rome had a serious competitor in Late Antiquity. Using recent excavations in Iran, this book throws the sheer magnitude of Sasanian military infrastructure into sharp relief.

The Story of a Norman Powerhouse and its Anglo-Saxon Precursor By Jonathan Clark, Justin Garner-Lahire (FAS Heritage), Cecily Spall (FAS Heritage) and Nicola Toop (FAS Heritage)

Accessible, lavishly illustrated history of Lincoln Castle, from the Roman period through to the 20th century. This book represents the first volume to pull together a full history of Lincoln Castle based on archaeological excavation and documentary research.

It tells a new story of the royal castle of Lincoln in the north of England, how it was imposed on the late Anglo-Saxon town, and how it developed over the next 900 years in the hands of the English king or his aristocratic associates, leaving us a surviving monument of three great towers, each with its own biography. Led by FAS Heritage, archaeologists, architectural historians and a large cohort of the general public have combined to produce a revealing and accessible account of the story of Lincoln Castle and a reborn historical attraction for the city of Lincoln.

Generously illustrated with many colour images including reconstructions accompanying as easily accessible text aimed at a general readership, it is a fascinating collection of knowledge that paints a comprehensive picture of Lincoln Castle's history.

By Dorian Gerhold

New information and reconstruction drawings allow for a deeper understanding of the history of London Bridge. London Bridge lined with houses from end to end was one of the most extraordinary structures ever seen in London. This book uses plentiful newly-discovered evidence, including detailed descriptions of nearly every house, to tell the story of the bridge and its houses and inhabitants. With the new information it is possible to reconstruct the plan of the bridge and houses in the seventeenth century, to trace the history of each house back through rentals and a survey to 1358, revealing the original layout, to date most of the houses which appear in later views, and to show how the houses and their occupants changed during five and half centuries. The book includes five newly-commissioned reconstruction drawings showing what we now know about the bridge and its houses.

Excavations at Parc Cybi, Holy Island, Anglesey Edited by Jane Kenney (Gwynedd Archaeological Trust)

Covers the four-year excavation at the archaeologically abundant site of Holy Island, North Wales. Holy Island is a small island just off the west coat of North Wales. Between 2006 and 2010, excavations across over 20 hectares were investigated, revealing a busy and complex archaeological landscape, which could be seen evolving from the Mesolithic period to present day. This book examines the information unearthed by the archaeological investigation that revolutionised our understanding of how people have lived in, and transformed, the landscape of Holy Island, and it's broader significance for similar sites across Britain and Ireland.

The Destruction and Deposition of Metalwork in South-West Britain and its Wider Context Matthew G. Knight (National Museums Scotland)

An analysis of the deliberate destruction of Bronze Age metalwork from a new perspective. Drawing on experimental archaeology, Matthew Knight uncovers how Bronze Age metalwork was destroyed and deposited to develop a framework for assessing what can be considered deliberate destruction. Through an examination of metalwork from south-west Britain, he observes the complexity of destruction and deposition at the localised level, how it was linked to people and places, and therefore explores its social role more generally during the Bronze Age.