In The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe, Florin Curta offers a social and economic history of East Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe during the 6th and 7th centuries. It challenges the current model of transition from Antiquity to the early Middle Ages on the basis of an interpretation of the written sources, but especially of an enormous amount of archaeological evidence accumulated in the last 50 years or so. It deals with societies in close contact with the Roman world, as well with those located very far from it. It addresses questions of property, subsistence, crafts, trade, and social change.
Author(s): Florin Curta
Series: East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450–1450; 72
Publisher: Brill
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: xiv+516
The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Figures
Introduction
1 Written Sources
2 Synopsis of Political History
3 Archaeological Sources and the Problems of Their Interpretation
4 Book Structure and Scope
1 The Transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages: The Current Model
2 Eastern Europe: Concepts, Geography, Climate History
Part 1: The Roman Orbit
3 The Balkans during the Last Century of Roman Power (500 to ca. 620)
4 The Balkan “Dark Ages” (620 to ca. 680)
5 A Periphery without “Dark Ages”: Crimea
6 Roman Clients: The Carpathian Basin and the Neighboring Regions (500 to 570)
7 Nomadic Pastoralism in Central Europe? The First Avar Century
8 In the Shadow of the Empire: The Lower Danube Region
9 Was there Nomadic Pastoralism in the East European Steppe?
Part 2: Far Away from the Empire
10 Demographic Collapse in East Central Europe: Poland at the End of Late Antiquity
11 Stability and Expansion in the Baltic Region
12 Societies on the Edge: The Forest-Steppe Belt of Eastern Europe
13 Subsisting without Social Hierarchy in the Forest Belt
14 Social Differentiation in the Central Parts of Eastern Europe
15 Prosperity in the Taiga: The Far East of Eastern Europe
Part 3: Specific Trends
16 Property
17 Subsistence Economy
18 Crafts and Craft Specialization
19 Trade and Non-Commercial Exchanges
20 Social Change
Conclusion
Bibliography
Sources
Secondary Literature
Index
