Building Networks: Exchange of Knowledge, Ideas and Materials in Medieval and Post-Medieval Europe

This book aims to explore different aspects of networks in relation to the archaeology of buildings. It is divided into three major themes: the trade in materials, the exchange of knowledge (of techniques and/or materials), and the exchange of style. Within each of these themes, two primary aspects are addressed—notably, who were the actors and how did the network function?

 In medieval and post-medieval Europe, the development of buildings, of style and the use of material, cannot be understood from a local, regional or even national perspective. Not only were the borders different than in modern-day Europe, but the contacts of inhabitants also transcended local and regional boundaries. This volume describes the continuous exchange of aesthetic ideals, technological developments and building materials during this period. This volume is a culmination of four years of sessions held at the European Archaeology Association (EAA) conference between 2016-2020 on the topic. It is of interest to archaeologists, architects, and scholars of built heritage.

Chapter 1. Building Networks: An Introduction to the Exchange of Knowledge, Ideas and Material for Building in the Medieval and Post-Medieval World (Bouwmeester et al).- Chapter 2. Tools and Masons: Regional Building Networks in Norway (1152/3–1537) (Reinfjord).- Chapter 3. Church Roofs in a Frontier Region. Historic Timber Structures in Western Sweden Reflect Changing Influences and Resources (Gullbrandsson et al).- Chapter 4. Across the Sea: Urban Formation and New House Building Horizons in the South Baltic Realm (c. 1100–1500) (Thomasson).- Chapter 5. Influences and Networking in Danish Brick Architecture During the Twelfth and Sixteenth Centuries (Gardelin).- Chapter 6. An Exceptional Twelfth-Century Tile Floor, Its Origins and the Network Behind It. Compositional Analysis of Tiles from St. Lawrence Church in Roskilde, Denmark (Langkilde).- Chapter 7. Changing Origins and Trade Routes of Scottish Window Glass (Spencer).- Chapter 8. Brought From Near and Far: Trade Networks forBuilding Materials in Later Medieval England (Berryman).- Chapter 9. Networked Control: Tower Houses in Ireland (Kerr).- Chapter 10. Patterns in Brick: The Spread of Brick Use Between 1150 and 1550 in the Netherlands (Bouwmeester).- Chapter 11. Trade and the Recycling of Stones in Medieval Cologne (Höltken).- Chapter 12. The Transmission of New Construction Techniques and Urbanisation Concepts During the Teutonic Crusade. Cities and Castles in Chelmno Land (Poland) in the Early Thirteenth Century (Wiewióra).- Chapter 13. Prague and Prague Castle Under the First Habsburgs (Blažková).- Chapter 14. Architectural Traditions of Pre-Romanesque Central Plan Churches in Bohemia Within Central European Context (Tomanová).- Chapter 15. Building Networks: Circulation of Workforces, Techniques, and Architectural Models: Roma and the Lazio Region in Italian and European Context.

Since 2009, Jeroen Bouwmeester has been employed by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands as a senior researcher of medieval and early-modern towns. His research focuses on urban archaeology in relation to archaeological heritage management with special attention to predictive modelling and the development of houses and other buildings in relation to urban planning.

Laura Patrick completed her PhD at Queen's University Belfast in 2022.  Her research focused on landscape archaeology, using case studies in Ulster to develop a methodology for the visualisation of rural medieval communities in Ireland through GIS and mapping techniques.  She is also employed in the heritage and museums sector, promoting the importance of heritage and history.

Dr Duncan Berryman is an archaeologist researching medieval rural buildings. He received his PhD from Queen's University Belfast, this research studied the materials and investment of the buildings of fourteenth-century English manorial curiae. Currently, he is developing this research across the rest of the British Isles. He is also involved in community archaeology in Ulster with the Ulster Archaeological Society.