Northumbria's Golden Age.

Northumbria's Golden Age. JANE HAWKES & SUSAN MILLS (ed.). Northumbria's Golden Age.xii+452 pages, 14 colour photographs, 106 figures. 1999. Stroud: Sutton;9-7599-1685-0 hardback 30 [pounds sterling]. Northumbria's Golden Age covers northern England in the thirdquarter of the 1st millennium and its links to other parts of Britain(and Willibrord's mission to Holland). There are a dozen papers onthe archaeology of cultural identity, settlements (n.b. West Heslertonand Flixborough), experimental work on buildings and ships, burials (S.Lucy, with a gazetteer gazetteer(găz'ĭtēr`), dictionary or encyclopedia listing alphabetically the names of places, political divisions, and physical features of the earth and giving some information about each. ), and ecclesiastical activity; there are 15papers on sculpture and carving, jewellery and manuscripts; and thereare seven on aspects of Bede. This scholarly and chunky book is producedto a suitably high standard. Would a more international perspective haveenhanced the treatment (cf. Ireland and Scandinavia, below) or is theregional view necessary for appreciating a distinct culture here (seeBEVAN and DAVIES & WILLIAMSON in `Later prehistory of Europe',above)? See also the review of The St Andrews sarcophagus sarcophagus(särkŏf`əgəs)[Gr.,=flesh-eater], name given by the Greeks to a special marble found in Asia Minor, near the territory of ancient Troy, and used in caskets. , pp. 244-5,below. The review by TWEDDLE et al. of evidence for York from the Romanperiod to the Viking conquest was prompted by the paradox that scantyarchaeological evidence seemed to belie be��lie?tr.v. be��lied, be��ly��ing, be��lies1. To picture falsely; misrepresent: "He spoke roughly in order to belie his air of gentility"James Joyce. a sense, from written sources,of the city's importance. The best of the sub-Roman evidence iscemeteries. From the 7th century, two foci within the Roman defencesbecame predominant and a village may have coalesced at the confluence ofthe Foss with the river. In the 9th century, the whole area becamebusier. Throughout, the clearest evidence is ecclesiastical. The reportincludes a review of the literary sources, topographical analyses,summaries of the archaeological sites and finds, and an apt assessmentof Modern period development and the growth of awareness about thecity's archaeology. There are summaries in French and German. Dr REYNOLDS introduces the archaeology and historical sources forEngland from c. AD 600 to the 11th century by reviewing the history, thesociology, economic, military and political organization, the settlementpattern, and the development of trade and towns. The themes of stateorigins and urbanization emerge coherently without the theorizing thatusually attend these topics; and he deftly avoids the tanglescharacteristic of funerary fu��ner��ar��y?adj.Of or suitable for a funeral or burial.[Latin fner and ecclesiological ec��cle��si��ol��o��gy?n.1. The branch of theology that is concerned with the nature, constitution, and functions of a church.2. The study of ecclesiastical architecture and ornamentation. archaeology. Yet he doesjustice to all the main methods of research. The one topic on which thebalance rests a bit heavily is the judicial system. Provision ofreferences is not sufficiently comprehensive.