Conclusion

Only in Ireland, the far north of Britain, and Scandinavia can it be argued that the period between the fourth and seventh centuries saw a long trajectory of development that owed little to the political collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Elsewhere, the fifth century saw important changes that were dependent on the breakdown of the relationships that had existed between empire and barbaricum for centuries, and on the ending of the overarching political role model that was Rome. It may be that the nature and importance of those relationships meant that the fifth century was more traumatic north of the limites than within the provinces, and in some instances this is doubtless true, though the diversity of western social structures meant equally that some areas were every bit as badly hit as barbaricum (Halsall 2007). In many ways, Germanic-speaking barbaricum was, perhaps paradoxically, more integrally a part of the Roman Empire than many of the imperial provinces. If it is generally the case that the fifth century was more characterized by continuity than by change, then the attitude described at the start of this chapter is perfectly justified. For the northern barbarians, Late Antiquity was just something that happened to other people. None of that made the period between the fourth and seventh centuries any less important or dramatic.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

For the English reader, the archaeology of Germania is best introduced in the works of Malcolm Todd 1972 and 1987 (often reissued, sometimes with different titles), though the interpretive frameworks now look somewhat outdated. Peter Heather (1996: 63-84; 2005: 84-96) has provided briefer but more recent and very interesting overviews. A survey of the barbarian territories (in North Africa as well as the British Isles and mainland Europe), their relationships with the empire and the effects upon them of the Fall of Rome is found in Halsall 2007. Hamerow 2002 is very good on northern German rural settlement archaeology, though sadly more hesitant about social than about ethnic interpretations.

Myrhe 2003 is an excellent account of Scandinavian developments. A stimulating discussion of the social evolution of Iron Age Denmark, up to c. ad 700 can be found in Hedeager 1992. For the bog deposits of that region, one of the most important forms of evidence, one should consult the useful collection of essays edited by Jorgensen et al. 2003. The Gudme-Lundeborg complex on Fyn is the subject of much analysis, usually in English, particularly in Nielsen et al. 1994. This also contains discussion of other relevant aspects of southern Scandinavia in this era.

The areas further south (Saxon, Frankish, and Alamannic) are not as well treated in English-language literature, though there is useful material in Wood 1998 and Green and Siegmund 2003; and one should consult the overviews cited above. German readers can consult Capelle (1988) for a good introduction to Saxony, and the lavishly illustrated essays in Wieczorek et al. 1997 and Fuchs et al. 1997 for the Franks and Alamans respectively. For the Thuringians, see Schmidt 1987.

For Ireland, one should consult Harbison 1988 for the late Roman Iron Age and Edwards 1990 or Mytum 1992 for the period after the fifth century. Britain north of Hadrian’s Wall is surveyed with estimable brevity and clarity in Foster 1996.