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The Medieval Period

Submitted by Seren Langley on Fri, 2009-07-03 13:53
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Bodiam Castle

The Medieval Period, from 848/878 AD to 1536/1560 AD, about 1160 years ago. This page explores some of the many sites associated with the Medieval Period, some of the important facts about the period and ways in which we can learn about the Medieval Period with archaeology

Medieval Sites

There are many sites from the Medieval period which are open to visitors, such as National Trust’s Bodiam Castle. To explore some of these sites, visit our Medieval Sites page.

Some Important Facts about the Medieval Period

Medieval Kingdoms

The 9th century was a significant time for England, Scotland and Wales. Kenneth (841–858) had united Dalriada and the Picts into the Kingdom of the Scots. Rhodri Mawr (844–878) of Gwynedd had become ruler of most of north and south Wales. Alfred the Great of Wessex (871–899) had become the King of the Anglo-Saxons. The only other kingdoms still surviving, apart from those of the Vikings, were Cornwall, Glamorgan and Strathclyde. Cornwall would be taken over by England in 928. Strathclyde would be absorbed into Scotland in 1018. Rhodri’s kingdom though was divided among his sons and Wales would not be united again until Llewellyn Fawr of Gwynedd conquered the other princes and adopted the title of Prince of Wales in 1258.

Alfred’s son, daughter and grandson conquered the Viking kingdoms that had been set up and by 927, all of the Anglo-Saxons were part of a new Kingdom of England. Most of the shires, boroughs, cathedrals, major abbeys, laws and government of England were created in the 9th and 10th centuries. In Scotland, the major creation of towns, monasteries, coinage, trade and government was the work of King David I from 1124 to 1153.

The Normans

The Norman Conquest of England after 1066, introduced a new aristocracy that also began to invade and take over land in Wales. Edward I would conquer all of Wales in 1283, and would also try to conquer Scotland in 1296. For a short time the whole of Britain was ruled by Edward. The Scots claimed their independence in 1306 and defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The Western Isles were part of Norway until being given to Scotland in 1266, and the northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland were not given to Scotland by Norway until 1468.

Wharram Percy, North Yorkshire

The Climate

The climate got warmer during the medieval period and by 1300 the population had grown large, with farmland in many new areas, and a lot of towns. This changed very quickly. Bad weather caused a major famine in 1315–1317, and the climate got much colder. The Black Death followed in 1348–49: a plague which is reckoned to have killed one in three of the population. More outbreaks of plague followed and by 1450, the population was reduced to its lowest level, perhaps only one third of what it had been in 1300. Less people meant that there were not enough people for the jobs that needed doing. Employers would pay high wages to attract people to work for them. There may have been less people, but they were much wealthier than in the past.

Development of Villages and Towns

The medieval period saw the beginning of the villages and towns we live in now. Parish churches were built in the villages, and big cathedrals in the large cities. Hundreds of castles were built by the aristocracy. Large monasteries were also built, many of which became very wealthy. The monasteries provided the hospitals and support for poor people. Parish churches had graveyards attached to them. Only important people would have a gravestone. Really important people were buried inside the church itself, often with elaborate tombs.

11th/12th century grindstone

Farming and Agriculture

In some parts of England, a type of farming was used called the open field system. Villages would share the fields out between themselves in long narrow strips so that each had a chance of having the good soils. These strips often survive in the landscape today as ridge and furrow.

England was the wealthiest of the nations in Britain, and most of its wealth was based on sheep! England exported wool to the rest of Europe, and large landowners made a lot of money from keeping sheep. So important was wool that the seat of the Lord Chancellor of England in the House of Lords in Parliament was a sack of wool. Many of the large abbeys also owned big flocks of sheep and became very rich from the wool trade.

Medieval Buildings

Bath Abbey The church was very powerful in the medieval period and stone churches and cathedrals became very large and highly decorated. Most people lived in wooden houses, many of the better of these still survive. Only the very wealthy could afford stone. Some of the wealthy were the merchants and businessmen in the towns. They would often group together in guilds to protect their business, and some built very grand guildhalls. There were many small towns, but only a few large ones. These would often have town walls built around their centre with impressive gateways that could be locked and barred.

The kings and their aristocracy owned large amounts of land, and had castles to live in. The earliest castles were made of wood, and later rebuilt in stone. Less wealthy landowners would have manor houses, sometimes with a moat around them. Most people lived in villages and farms. When the population declined after 1300, some of these villages were abandoned, and their remains survive today as deserted medieval villages.

Education in the Medieval Period

A major feature of the medieval period was the growth of education in local schools provided by the church, and at universities. Oxford University began to grow from 1167, and universities were founded at Cambridge in 1209, St Andrews in 1411, Aberdeen in 1451, and Glasgow in 1495. Many manuscripts were made, written by hand and decorated with gold and coloured paints. These are the best surviving examples of medieval art, although a few wall painting survive as well. Rare survivals of medieval drawing skills include the Hereford map of the world from around 1300, and the Gough Map of roads in Britain from about 1360.

Medieval Inventions

Medieval people were very inventive and developed or adapted many things we now use, such as the horse collar that allowed more efficient horses to pull ploughs rather than oxen, windmills, the compass for navigation, glasses for poor eyesight (1290s), the mechanical clock (about 1300), cannons (from the 1320s), printing (introduced to Britain in 1476), and the pocket watch (1509). They also mined for coal and had important iron industries in the Forest of Dean and the Weald.

Finding out about the Medieval Period with Archaeology

Some of the archaeological subjects which study the Medieval Period and professional Archaeologists who work with the Medieval period include:

If you are interested in learning more about studying Medieval Archaeology please visit the CBA’s Studying Archaeology page.