The archaeology of the early medieval communities around the North Sea: a ‘maritime culture'?

It stands without doubt that the populations around the Channel and North Sea coasts
during the early middle ages were in close contact. This is reflected, amongst others, in the
material record. Pottery, domestic architecture, metalwork and even funerary customs of
the period all have features that recur along the coasts of both the Continent and England.
Terms like 'Saxon', 'Anglo-Frisian', ... are frequently used to describe these traditions.
Thus, the study of these stylistic, typological, technical and other similarities is embedded
in an explicitly ethnic discourse. In this paper, we contend that such ethnic affiliations are
largely irrelevant as far as the later 6th to 8th centuries are concerned. It is argued that they
are confusing at best and the remainders of an out-dated culture model at worst.
Inspired by recent sociological studies (in the field of transnationalism, amongst others), an
alternative model is developed to help understand the nature and intensity of contact across
the North Sea. The mobile, maritime aspect of these societies is placed at the centre of this
approach. In this way the concept of a 'North Sea culture', first proposed in the 1970s (e.g.
Hallewas e.a. 1975), is revived. This 'culture' is characterized by an intensive interaction and
exchange of goods and ideas, resulting in a highly diverse material culture with associations
in various geographical regions (Loveluck en Tys 2006). Crucially, these associations need not
be regarded as meaningful emic indicators of ethnic identity.
In addition to exploring the problems with the approach currently prevailing and setting out
the theoretical foundations of the alternative perspective, a few examples will be provided
in this paper of how the material culture of communities around the North Sea may be
examined in this light.

Pieterjan Deckers and Dries Tys
Department of Art History and Archaeology
Free University of Brussels

References
Hallewas, D.P., H.A. Heidinga, H.H. van Regteren Altena, en G. IJzereef, red. 1975.
De "Noordzeecultuur". Een onderzoek naar de culturele relaties van de landen rond
de Noordzee in de vroege middeleeuwen. Project middeleeuwse archeologie, 1972-
1974. Amsterdam: Albert Egges van Giffen Instituut voor Prae- en Protohistorie,
Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Loveluck, C., en D. Tys. 2006. "Coastal societies, exchange and identity along the Channel
and southern North Sea shores of Europe, AD 600-1000". Journal of Maritime
Archaeology 140-169.