Water and Society in Early Medieval Italy, AD 400–1000
This book offers an original discussion of an element--water--and its relationship with people. In particular it shows how early medieval Italian societies coped with the problems of having too much or too little water, and analyzes their use of it. Such treatment illuminates both the workings of postclassical societies and of the environments in which these societies lived. Domestic usage, bathing, irrigation and drainage, fishing, and milling all receive full coverage.
- A wholly original work, in that it virtually invents a field of medieval historical enquiry
- Fully interdisciplinary, covering medieval history, history of technology and agriculture, and cultural and social history
- Contains a specific ecological element of interest to environmental historians
Reviews & endorsements
"...I learned a tremendous amount from this thoroughly documented and informative work, and I will be consulting it frequently..." Harry B. Evans, American Historical Review
"...a very interesting book that should appeal to many readers and must be applauded for its production..." Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies
"This is a fascinating book..." Neil Christie, The Medieval Review
Product details
February 2011Adobe eBook Reader
9780511824715
0 pages
0kg
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. Water for everyday use
- 2. Water, baths, and corporeal washing
- 3. The wet and the dry: water in agriculture
- 4. Water, fish, and fishing
- 5. Water and milling in early medieval Italy
- 6. Conclusion: the hydrological cycle in the early Middle Ages.