Anarchy: War and Status in 12th-Century Landscapes of Conflict

Abstract

The turbulent reign of Stephen, King of England (1135–54), has been styled since the late 19th century as 'the Anarchy’, although the extent of political breakdown during the period has since been vigorously debated. Rebellion and bitter civil war characterised Stephen’s protracted struggle with rival claimant Empress Matilda and her Angevin supporters over ‘nineteen long winters’ when, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, ‘Christ and his Saints slept’. Drawing on new research and fieldwork, this innovative volume offers the first ever overview and synthesis of the archaeological and material record for this controversial period. It presents and interrogates many different types of evidence at a variety of scales, ranging from nationwide mapping of historical events through to conflict landscapes of battlefields and sieges. The volume considers archaeological sites such as castles and other fortifications, churches, monasteries, bishops’ palaces and urban and rural settlements, alongside material culture including coins, pottery, seals and arms and armour. This approach not only augments but also challenges historical narratives, questioning the ‘real’ impact of Stephen’s troubled reign on society, settlement, church and the landscape, and opens up new perspectives on the conduct of Anglo-Norman warfare.

Gender and medieval archaeology: storming the castle

“…While some scholars do concentrate on the latter, it is often analysed in a typological or scientific manner—especially pottery—and not contextualised spatially within the castle (e.g. Creighton & Wright 2016). People are mostly discussed in terms of power, as patrons or ruling lords; in other words, elite males or females who operated as such.…”

Beyond the martial façade: gender, heritage and medieval castles

“…Despite progress towards a modernised, critical discourse of castle-studies, medieval people still remain absent(ed) from discussions (Dempsey 2019). Where people are acknowledged as having been present, it is usually a story of one lord or knight who represents the embodiment of (modern) masculinityimplicitly lauded for his bodily prowess, or appreciated for wielding male power, both economic and political (Johnson 2002;Creighton and Wright 2017;O'Keeffe 2015). Women, when discussed, are categorized as wife-mother-daughter, and often are not named personally even when their names are documented (e.g.…”

The “Anarchy” of King Arthur’s Beginnings: The Politics that Created the Arthurian Tradition

“…The knights' betterment usually takes place in mock battles during tournaments, a practice that thrived under Stephen's reign and saw its development from military training to entertainment in the 12 th century. 29 A knight proving his worth through tournaments is a trademark of courtly romance and an important part of the Arthurian tradition. While these elements are not a central focus of Geoffrey's Historia, its themes of knightly strength and dignified courtly behavior proved wildly popular with the Norman nobles.…”