Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production
and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting
Session #233

M 2025

Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session #233

LEBSAK, Michael; Michal HLAVICA; Arne KLUGE a Monika KAMINSKA

Základní údaje

Originální název

Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session #233

Autoři

LEBSAK, Michael; Michal HLAVICA; Arne KLUGE a Monika KAMINSKA

Vydání

2025

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Uspořádání konference

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Klíčová slova anglicky

Political Economy; Middle Ages; Production; Trade; Elites; Hierarchies

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam

Změněno: 6. 3. 2026 07:11, Mgr. Michal Hlavica, Ph.D.

Anotace

V originále

This session explores the political and economic relationships between elite and non-elite actors in Medieval Europe (500–1500 AD), focusing on the production, distribution, and consumption of both mundane goods and high-status valuables. Elites—such as monarchs, chiefs, and clergy—exerted significant influence on commodity flows through mechanisms such as land ownership, violent restrictions, and market bottlenecking, enabling them to shape both local economies and broader trade networks. Control over resources and labor allowed elites to sponsor production centres and regulate access to existential materials like iron, foodstuffs, salt and wood, while also ensuring that luxury items such as weapons and jewelry remained symbols of power and status. The impact of elite actors can be identified through archaeological and historical evidence indicating specialized production areas, elite-sponsored workshops, and controlled distribution channels. Elite-sponsored craftsmanship further illustrate how control over skilled labor was used to reinforce social hierarchies, as well as maintain economic and cultural dominance. Despite this, autonomy existed among non-elite producers and traders. Archaeological data, such as independent workshops and evidence of local exchange, suggest that artisans and merchants could operate independently, creating distribution systems outside elite oversight. These autonomous exchange activities reflect a negotiated space wherein non-elites could engage in both local and regional trade, contributing to a dynamic economy that extended beyond direct elite control. This session aims to contextualize these interactions and seeks to present recent interdisciplinary studies that can combine, for instance, archaeological, archaeometric, historical or economic anthropological studies to explore the dependencies and independencies in Medieval European economic systems. Through this approach, we seek to deepen the understanding of how elite influences intersected with the agency of producers and traders, thereby shaping the distribution and accessibility of both mundane commidities and valuables.

Návaznosti

GX25-15764X, projekt VaV

Název: Příhraničí a říše. Příklad mojmírovské Moravy

Investor: Grantová agentura ČR, Příhraničí a říše. Příklad mojmírovské Moravy

Citovat

LEBSAK, Michael; Michal HLAVICA; Arne KLUGE a Monika KAMINSKA. Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session #233. 2025.

@proceedings{2555517,
   author = {Lebsak, Michael and Hlavica, Michal and Kluge, Arne and Kaminska, Monika},
   keywords = {Political Economy; Middle Ages; Production; Trade; Elites; Hierarchies},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session #233},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 2555517
AU  - Lebsak, Michael - Hlavica, Michal - Kluge, Arne - Kaminska, Monika
PY  - 2025
TI  - Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session #233
KW  - Political Economy
KW  - Middle Ages
KW  - Production
KW  - Trade
KW  - Elites
KW  - Hierarchies
N2  - This session explores the political and economic relationships between elite and non-elite actors in Medieval Europe (500–1500 AD), focusing on the production, distribution, and consumption of both mundane goods and high-status valuables. Elites—such as monarchs, chiefs, and clergy—exerted significant influence on commodity flows through mechanisms such as land ownership, violent restrictions, and market bottlenecking, enabling them to shape both local economies and broader trade networks. Control over resources and labor allowed elites to sponsor production centres and regulate access to existential materials like iron, foodstuffs, salt and wood, while also ensuring that luxury items such as weapons and jewelry remained symbols of power and status. The impact of elite actors can be identified through archaeological and historical evidence indicating specialized production areas, elite-sponsored workshops, and controlled distribution channels. Elite-sponsored craftsmanship further illustrate how control over skilled labor was used to reinforce social hierarchies, as well as maintain economic and cultural dominance. Despite this, autonomy existed among non-elite producers and traders. Archaeological data, such as independent workshops and evidence of local exchange, suggest that artisans and merchants could operate independently, creating distribution systems outside elite oversight. These autonomous exchange activities reflect a negotiated space wherein non-elites could engage in both local and regional trade, contributing to a dynamic economy that extended beyond direct elite control. This session aims to contextualize these interactions and seeks to present recent interdisciplinary studies that can combine, for instance, archaeological, archaeometric, historical or economic anthropological studies to explore the dependencies and independencies in Medieval European economic systems. Through this approach, we seek to deepen the understanding of how elite influences intersected with the agency of producers and traders, thereby shaping the distribution and accessibility of both mundane commidities and valuables.
ER  -

LEBSAK, Michael; Michal HLAVICA; Arne KLUGE a Monika KAMINSKA. \textit{Iron, Pottery, Quernstones: The Political Economy of Production and Trade in the European Middle Ages. 31st EAA Annual Meeting Session \#{}233}. 2025.

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