PAStexplorers: The Medieval period || fun

The Medieval period

Our next layer of time is the Medieval period. Medieval means comes from two Latin words meaning ‘middle age’, and it is the time in the middle between classical (Roman) times and the modern world. It lasted for about 400 years, between 1066AD- 1500 AD.

Europe grew up during this time and we begin to see the appearance of the modern world that we know now. We would recognise many of the objects in everyday use but others would seem strange. Unlike the Early Medieval period that preceded it, we have lots of sources of evidence for life in medieval times. Records of all sorts were kept and have survived in large numbers. Around us we can still see many Medieval buildings like churches and castles but it is the finds being recorded by the Scheme that tell us how people actually lived, as they are the things that people used in everyday life.

The Scheme has recorded thousands of finds from the Medieval period. The most common ones are connected with trade and dress. Buckles and brooches are common finds from this period as both became as much a fashion accessory as a useful way of joining two pieces of fabric or leather. Coins, weights and jettons (counters used in keeping accounts) all tell us how the economy worked. Also, as chance finds , they can tell us the sites of Medieval fairs, markets and roads.

The most important things in Medieval England were the King and the Church. The Scheme records finds that tell us a lot about both. Below the King were Nobles and we see things like horse harness fittings decorated with heraldry that can tell us which Noble they belonged to.

The Christian church was at the centre of people’s lives providing hospitals, looking after the poor and giving comfort in a dangerous world. The Scheme records a lot of finds relating to the Church. Ampullae were little lead bottles that contained holy water, this was kept ready for use in an emergency, like an illness, when the help of a saint was needed. Bullae were lead seals that were attached to documents sent out by the Pope in Rome. Have a look at these on the Scheme database!

PAStexplorers

The Medieval period

Medieval finds from England and Wales