Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376–568

Abstract

This is a major survey of the barbarian migrations and their role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the creation of early medieval Europe, one of the key events in European history. Unlike previous studies it integrates historical and archaeological evidence and discusses Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe and North Africa, demonstrating that the Roman Empire and its neighbours were inextricably linked. A narrative account of the turbulent fifth and early sixth centuries is followed by a description of society and politics during the migration period and an analysis of the mechanisms of settlement and the changes of identity. Guy Halsall reveals that the creation and maintenance of kingdoms and empires was impossible without the active involvement of people in the communities of Europe and North Africa. He concludes that, contrary to most opinions, the fall of the Roman Empire produced the barbarian migrations, not vice versa.

High Y-chromosomal diversity and low relatedness between paternal lineages on a communal scale in the Western European Low Countries during the surname establishment

“…To avoid such a 'historical cherry-picking', the six particular communities in this study were selected to survey in a statistically rigorous way if a genetic impact of a historical development within a community during the Roman Empire versus the Early Middle Ages in Flanders is still observable using the modern DNA samples on communal scale. On the basis of the material-culture studies this binary view has been challenged intensively, as Roman-Germanic exchanges were intensive already during Roman times, making too binary-opposed interpretations on aspects of identity (such as ethnicity or status) after the Roman times problematic (Halsall, 2007). On the other hand, several previous studies assigned distributions of some specific nuclear and Y-chromosomal variants in Western Europe to migration during the Roman Period (King et al, 2007;Faure and Royer-Carenzi, 2008).…”

Diplomatic relations between the eastern Roman empire and the “barbarian” successor states, 527–565

“…By contrast, the majority of recent scholarship more convincingly portrays Justinian's decision to go to war as ad hoc and opportunistic (Cameron, , p. 173; Meier, , pp. 156–180; Vössing, , p. 197), even if longer term tensions are also acknowledged, especially owing to the periodic persecution of African Roman Catholics by the Arian Christian Vandal kings (Halsall, , pp. 499–500; Sarris, , pp.…”

Etnicidad en los cementerios altomedievales. El caso de los enterramientos "visigodos"

“…As Halsall and Pohl have stated (HALSALL, 1995(HALSALL, , 2007POHL, 1998a: p. 3), the furnished burials and the ethnicity expression associated to them are the consequences of periods of strong political stress within the communities where the social status and power were in continuous dispute, justification and reproduction.…”

“…A fluid ethnicity which purpose would be framing and defining identities, not only the individual ones, but also the social and economic identities. An ethnicity defining not only the difference between the us and them, but as Halsall states; the difference between 'the us and us' within the communities (HALSALL, 2007). An ethnicity that, as opposed as what is supported by the germanist school "are in no way natural facts.…”