The Role of Anglo-Saxon Great Hall Complexes in Kingdom Formation, in Comparison and in Context AD 500-750

Following the collapse of Roman Britain, early medieval England shows little evidence for complex hierarchy or supra-regional socio-political units for nearly two hundred years, until the turn of the 7th century, when the documented emergence of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms is seemingly confirmed by the sudden appearance of the first high-status settlements - the so-called great hall complexes.This book explores the role of great hall complexes in kingdom formation through an expansive and ambitious study, incorporating new fieldwork, new quantitative methodologies and new theoretical models for the emergence of high-status settlements and the formation and consolidation of supra-regional socio-political units.This study begins with a comparative analysis of all known great hall complexes, through which evidence is presented for a broad chronological development, paralleling and contributing to the development of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.The wider context of great hall complexes is then explored t