Mutually assured construction : ĂthelflĂŠd's burhs, landscapes of defence and the physical legacy of the unification of England, 899-1016
This thesis examines the physical legacy left by the unification of the Kingdom of England during the tenth century, and seeks to redress the way in which the Kingdom of Mercia is often overlooked or discounted in the traditional historical narrative. It principally examines the means by which ĂthelflĂŠd of Mercia extended political and military control over the West Midlands, both in terms of physical infrastructure and through âsoftâ power in terms of economic control and material culture. It uses landscape archaeology, artefactual and textual evidence to compare Mercia with its ally, Wessex, and assess the different means by which ĂthelflĂŠd of Mercia and her brother Edward the Elder were able to consolidate and expand their territory, the physical infrastructure they established in order to defend it, and the ways in which these sites developed in response to the changing political, military and economic climates of the later tenth century. It will assess why some defensive sites developed into proto-urban settlements while others disappeared, and the extent to which this was a conscious or planned process. This thesis seeks to overturn the idea that burhs constructed in Mercia were insignificant
Stone, David John Fiander
Mercia ; Anglo-Saxon ; Wessex ; Early Medieval ; Burh ; Landscape Archaeology
Mutually assured construction : ĂthelflĂŠd's burhs, landscapes of defence and the physical legacy of the unification of England, 899-1016. This thesis examines the physical legacy left by the unification of the Kingdom of England during the tenth century, and seeks to redress the way in which the Kingdom of Mercia is often overlooked or discounted in the traditional historical narrative. It principally examines the means by which ĂthelflĂŠd of Mercia extended political and military control over the West Midlands, both in terms of physical infrastructure and through âsoftâ power in terms of economic control and material culture. It uses landscape archaeology, artefactual and textual evidence to compare Mercia with its ally, Wessex, and assess the different means by which ĂthelflĂŠd of Mercia and her brother Edward the Elder were able to consolidate and expand their territory, the physical infrastructure they established in order to defend it, and the ways in which these sites developed in response to the changing political, military and economic climates of the later tenth century. It will assess why some defensive sites developed into proto-urban settlements while others disappeared, and the extent to which this was a conscious or planned process. This thesis seeks to overturn the idea that burhs constructed in Mercia were insignificant
mutually assure construction landscape defence physical legacy unification england examines physical legacy leave unification kingdom england seek_redress way kingdom often_overlook discount traditional historical_narrative principally examines mean extend political_military control west_midlands term physical infrastructure soft power term economic control material_culture landscape_archaeology artefactual textual_evidence compare ally wessex assess different mean brother edward elder able consolidate expand territory physical infrastructure establish order defend way site develop response change political_military economic_climate later assess defensive site develop proto urban_settlement others disappear extent conscious plan process seek overturn idea construct insignificant