ABSTRACT
Archaeological progress in the study of the medieval period, however, reflects twentiethcentury preconceptions and obsessions. Ours is the century of the common man and much energy has been expended in reconstructing rural peasant life by studying medieval settlement. The doings of kings, nobles, barons and clerks no longer dominate the historical stage. The modern fashion for accumulating consumer goods has led students into spending perhaps a disproportionate amount of time in describing and analysing such common artifacts as pottery, knives and shoes (McCarthy and Brooks 1988, Cowgill et al. 1987, Grew and de Neergaard 1988). The current interest in ecology has fuelled the historical study of woodland and hedgerows (Rackham 1980, Hooper 1974). A further characteristic of the modern age which continues to excite and divide men is class. Social division is detected in the multifarious patterns of buildings, costume, accessories and food residues which appear in excavation reports. Most of these matters are discussed in my The Archaeology of Medieval England and Wales (Croom Helm 1984).
