Economic Integration in Early Medieval Northumbria

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to assess how economically integrated the kingdom of Northumbria was. Increasing amounts of evidence, particularly as a result of metal-detecting, has meant that early medieval economies, including that of Northumbria, have been the subject of study. Other areas, where such material is not abundant, have been less well-studied. This division is also observed in Northumbria where distributions of material culture vary greatly across the kingdom. The areas where finds, such as coins, are plentiful are the most-studied areas. This study addresses these imbalances in Northumbria by studying the whole of the kingdom and by using different types of evidence to gain a fuller picture of the economy and levels of integration. This study shows that Northumbria appears as a kingdom with a complex economy. Despite political unity, there appear to be significant economic differences that persisted throughout the two hundred and fifty years of the kingdom’s existence. Various economic factors meant that at times parts of the kingdom could appear as more economically similar, but levels of integration always remained low. Nevertheless, Northumbria and its economy did not reflect a simple case of economically developed and undeveloped areas. The evidence suggests a complex situation in which Northumbria was composed of different communities with different economies.