The Medieval Countryside, book 1 : The Rural History of Medieval European Societies. Trends and Perspectives
Isabel Alfonso2007

This series comprises regional studies in the rural history of the European continent during the Middle Ages (concentrating on the period 1000-1500). Integrating written records, archaeology, and research on the history of the landscape and environment, the books profile work on particular regions in detail. Implicitly and explicitly the series seeks to generate a comparative vocabulary and understanding of phenomena that heretofore have been studied in their local settings. These studies offer broader implications for the history of servitude, the settlement of the land, the functioning of the economy, food, and agricultural practices.

This collection gathers together a range of scholars who reflect on recent historiographical developments in medieval rural history within their respective countries. Each contribution provides a survey of a recent area of research, as well as documenting its significants results, and offering perspectives for future investigations. This international approach not only provides a deeper insight into how medieval rural studies relates to current debates in the social sciences, but it also highlights the connections between specific national historical traditions and present-day research issues in their historical contexts. By comparing different European regions it is possible to see more clearly the similarities and the differences which lie between them; this volume therefore constitutes a truer means of constructing syntheses and for identifying fruitful lines of future research.

Titre original : The Medieval Countryside, book 1 : The Rural History of Medieval European Societies. Trends and Perspectives (2007)