Gabor Thomas’s research while affiliated with University of Reading and other places

UNDERSTANDING RELIGIOUS CHANGE between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Reformation forms one of the cornerstones of medieval archaeology, but has been riven by period, denominational, and geographical divisions. This paper lays the groundwork for a fundamental rethink of archaeological approaches to medieval religions, by adopting an holistic framework that places Christian, pagan, Islamic and Jewish case studies of religious transformation in a long-term, cross-cultural perspective. Focused around the analytical themes of ‘hybridity and resilience’ and ‘tempo and trajectories’, our approach shifts attention away from the singularities of national narratives of religious conversion, towards a deeper understanding of how religious beliefs, practices and identity were renegotiated by medieval people in their daily lives.

Martin Carver , Justin Garner-Lahire & Cecily Spall . Portmahomack on Tarbet Ness: changing ideologies in north-east Scotland, sixth to sixteenth century AD. 2016. 552 pages, numerous colour and b&w illustrations. Edinburgh: Society of the Antiquaries of Scotland; 978-1-190833-209-7 hardback £30. - Volume 91 Issue 357 - Gabor Thomas

The discovery of an unusual early medieval plough coulter in a well-dated Anglo-Saxon settlement context in Kent suggests that continentally derived technology was in use in this powerful kingdom centuries before heavy ploughs were first depicted in Late Saxon manuscripts. The substantial investment required to manufacture the coulter, the significant damage and wear that it sustained during use and the circumstances of its ultimate ritual deposition are explored. Investigative conservation, high-resolution recording and metallographic analysis illuminate the form, function and use-life of the coulter. An examination of the deposition contexts of plough-irons in early medieval northern Europe sheds important new light on the ritual actions of plough symbolism in an age of religious hybridity and transformation.

Debby Banham & Rosamond Faith . Anglo-Saxon farms and farming. 2014. xv+336 pages, numerous colour and b&w illustrations. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 978-0-19-920794-7 hardback £65. - Volume 90 Issue 349 - Gabor Thomas