The “one percent” of Merovingian Gaul: landed wealth in the will of Remigius of Reims

How rich were the Merovingian “one percent”? The few surviving wills of the period can give us an insight into economic inequality in the Early Middle Ages and the wealth of the richest landowner of them all, the church itself.

Jip Barreveld • October 27, 2023

What did the Merovingian palace look like?

The Merovingian dynasty ruled over a large part of western Europe. Despite their importance, we know next to nothing about their living quarters. From their neighbours and successors we can learn more about what the early Frankish palace may have looked like.

Jip Barreveld • May 06, 2023

A stitch in time: in search for the daily activities of the early medieval inhabitants of Oegstgeest

Bone and antler pins and two-pointed bone rods found in Merovingian Oegstgeest had multiple functions, as revealed by archaeological microwear analysis.

Cynthia Kromotaroeno • October 28, 2022

Can we name a corpse? Identifying royalty in the burial record

A number of splendorous and wealthy ‘princely tombs’ from early medieval Europe have been identified with royal figures known from written sources. Can we really be sure who were buried in these tombs?

Jip Barreveld • April 15, 2022

On Beads and Boats: Merovingian beads travelling through time and space

What do beads and boats have in common? In Merovingian Europe, just about everything. Just like boats, Merovingian beads travelled through time and space, across huge distances, into other worlds and back again.

Mette Langbroek • March 19, 2021

Snatched by the wind: The wooden chapel of Saint Servatius in Maastricht

A wooden chapel dedicated to St. Servatius in sixth-century Maastricht has gotten a bad press. Historical and archaeological comparisons may redeem this humble shrine and illuminate the darkest years of post-Roman towns.

Jip Barreveld • December 24, 2020

Setting the early medieval world on fire

Early medieval cremation burials have long been seen as the remains of non-Christian peoples. Recent research shows this narrative does not comfortably fit the archaeology of that period.

Femke Lippok • August 07, 2020

Where is Gogo? Friendship and poetry at the Austrasian court

In a poem, Venantius Fortunatus wonders where his friend Gogo could be. The answers reveal the activities and friends of an Austrasian magnate in sixth-century northern Gaul.

Jip Barreveld • July 24, 2020

Beards and Barbarians: Hair and identity in the Early Medieval West

Bushy beards, drooping moustaches and flowing hair. What does the (facial) hair of Early Medieval monarchs tell us about their identity?

Jip Barreveld • February 21, 2020

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