Household Archaeology of 5th- to 6th-Century Settlements in Central Europe

Abstract

This thesis aims to gain a deeper understanding of the 5th- and 6th-century settlements in the Carpathian Basin by applying the theoretical approach of household archaeology and involving a wide range of evidence in the analysis. This work presents a detailed analysis of the Gepidic-period settlement (second half of the 5th century–6th century) at Berettyóújfalu, in eastern Hungary. The settlement was situated in the marshy, wetland environment of the River Berettyó and consisted of scattered clusters of loosely organised features, similar to other early medieval settlements in this period. The clear tendencies in the settling strategies and probably in the social organisation of these settlements inspired the application of the household archaeological framework. The examination of the archaeological evidence at Berettyóújfalu contributed to the understanding of activities (carried out by the inhabitants) and of their social implications–the organisation of work and cooperation within and between households.

As ethnohistorical analogies, the law codes of Lombards, Alemanns, and Bavarians were studied to learn about family structures and household compositions. The law codes have verified the key role of the household in early medieval societies from social, economic, and legal perspectives.

In addition to comparing the results of the analysis with other early medieval sites in the Carpathian Basin, the collected evidence was also placed into a wider European context, focusing on regions of southern Germany, the continental North Sea Zone and Great Britain. Patterns and tendencies were discovered at the settlements of these regions, allowing for the construction of a possible household model(s). This thesis demonstrates the potentials of the household archaeological approach and the integration of various fields in the study, thus bringing novel perspectives into the discussion of early medieval settlements.