Change of tack? The English eleventh-century horse-tack explosion in context

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11612406
AutoresBrandon Fathy (0000-0002-5778-2942, University of Reading, autor de correspondencia)
Año2025
Volumen182
Número1
Páginas115-146
Fecha de publicación2025-01-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaArchaeological Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0066-5983 • E-ISSN: 2373-2288
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00665983.2025.2513746
OpenAlexW4412929148
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas33

The eleventh century marked a significant transformation in English horse equipment, characterized by an unprecedented proliferation of copper-alloy horse tack. Analysing 3086 finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), this research reveals a nearly 30-fold increase in copper-alloy horse equipment from the tenth to eleventh centuries, with 62% of finds being stirrup components. This study examines this ‘explosion’ through technological, economic and social lenses. Copper-alloy horse tack emerged amid complex developments in urban metalworking, equestrian culture and status signification. While often associated with Viking and Norman conquests, the material shift reflects broader cultural negotiations rather than simple technological transfer. Notably, the research unveils a robust north–south divide in horse tack distribution, with the North East showing significantly fewer copper-alloy finds. This regional variation challenges assumptions of cultural uniformity and suggests localized material culture dynamics. The results highlights how decontextualized archaeological artefacts can provide profound insights into socio-political and economic changes, offering a sophisticated understanding of human–horse relationships in Medieval England

Acoustics · Archaeology · Context (archaeology · Eleventh · Physics · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · History