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A Comparative Approach to Ethnic Identity and Urban Settlement: Visigothic Spain, Lombard Italy and Merovingian Francia, c. 565-774 AD Craig Ferguson Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Edinburgh 2012 Declaration A Comparative Approach to Ethnic Identity and Urban Settlement: Visigothic Spain, Lombard Italy and Merovingian Francia, c. 565-774 AD I declare that this thesis is my own composition and that the pages contained within constitute my own work. It has not been submitted for any other degree or qualification. All external material has been appropriately cited using quotations marks and footnotes with reference to the original source. Craig Ferguson May 15, 2012 Abstract The traditional social and political divisions between the Late Roman and ‘Barbarian’ inhabitants of the post-Roman successor states has in the last few decades been challenged from several new angles. In this thesis, a comparative approach to the question of post-migration period urban settlement is constructed, taking into account recent scholarly research and developments. Following a short introduction broad issues such as terminology, ethnicity, historiography, cultural exchanges, and archaeological evidence are examined in the first two chapters of this work. After this the case studies of Visigothic Spain, Lombard Italy, and Merovingian Francia are presented in three respective chapters. Having looked at some of the specific details for these regions and how they illustrate some of the underlying concepts, trends, or variations in urban administration, the sixth chapter of this thesis presents the comparative approach itself. The main goal of the approach is to alter the ways in which historians perceive the processes of ethnic interactions and identity formation taking place from the mid-sixth to eighth centuries AD, and consists of six main points based upon both the earlier broader chapters, but also incorporates the specific details from the case studies as well. Ultimately it states that while each of the newly established aristocracies inherited a largely fragmentary and localized region following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century, the administrative structures and means of interaction with the Roman populace varied widely in each of the three case studies. The greatest variations were detected in how each group administered non-capital cities within their respective region, particularly the degrees to which they altered the Late Roman urban framework. This work advocates the importance of focusing on ‘the new elite and interactions with different types of cities’, rather than the traditional approach of studying their impact upon cities as a general and broad term. Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements 7 List of Maps and Illustrations 9 Introduction 10 An application of various methodologies 12 Central considerations of the thesis 15 Focal points in the study of Visigothic Spain 19 Key considerations for Lombard Italy 21 The situation in Merovingian Francia 22 The construction of a comparative approach 24 Chapter 1. Modern Research on Cultural Exchange 27 The problems of archaeological finds as ethnic markers 29 Cultural interactions and the aristocracy 37 Hispano-Roman continuity under a Visigothic administration 40 Localized aristocratic power and a fragmented Italian peninsula 42 Gallo-Roman traditions and emerging regional identities 45 Conflicting definitions of the civitas and relative urbanism 47 The relationship between Visigothic urban centres 52 Cities and political authority in the regnum Langobardorum 55 The civitates and their role within Merovingian Francia 57 Conclusion: Ethnogenesis and cities in the early medieval West 59 Chapter 2. Literary and Archaeological Records for Early 61 Medieval Settlement Local identities, urban life, and the literature of Visigothic Spain 62 Cultural exchange and the archaeological record for the Visigoths 69 Urban administration and the sources for Lombard Italy 72 Cultural interaction and the material evidence for the Lombards 78 Chroniclers and legal texts for the early medieval Franks 81 Local identities and archaeology for the Merovingian period 85 Conclusion: Urban identities in the material records 89 Chapter 3. The Spanish Kingdom of the Visigoths, 507-711 AD 93 Specific issues surrounding the literature of Visigothic Spain 97 Urban settlement, grave finds, and numismatic evidence 107 Problems of identity perception, titulature and urban settlement 119 The sedes regia of Toledo, 580-711 AD 126 Merida and urban vitality in the Visigothic kingdom 138 The early medieval city of Reccopolis 150 From Barcino to the ‘Lost City’ of Ologicus: secondary centres 159 Conclusion: Patterns of interaction in the Visigothic kingdom 164 Chapter 4. Italy at the Time of the Lombards, 568-774 AD 172 Chronological gaps in the primary sources 175 Archaeology for the civitates and castra in northern Italy 192 Processes of cultural exchange in the regnum Langobardorum 204 Pavia as capital of the Lombard kingdom, c. 620-774 AD 214 From Roman Brixia to Lombard Brescia 222 Cividale del Friuli, a frontier city of the Lombards 232 Conclusion: Formation of new socio-political structures 238 Chapter 5. The Frankish Kingdoms of the Merovingians, 507-751 AD 247 Portrayals of cultural interaction in the sources for Francia 249 Local identities in the archaeological record for the Franks 274 Paris, predominant capital of the Frankish kings 281 Tours as an ecclesiastical centre during the Merovingian period 292 The Austrasian political centre of Metz 300 Conclusion: The gradual adoption of Frankish cultural values 307 Chapter 6. A Comparative Approach to Ethnic Identity and 314 Urban Settlement, c. 565-774 AD Identity formation and strategies of settlement 315 Primary sources and processes behind early medieval ethnogenesis 325 Ethnic exchanges and secular administration outside of the capitals 334 A comparison of the sedes regiae 342 Conclusion: A comparative approach to early medieval settlement 349 Abbreviations used 357 Bibliography 358 Primary sources and translations 358 Secondary material 361 Acknowledgements The undertaking of this doctoral thesis and my ability to finally complete the project after four years are both the result of strong support from a wide range of individuals in both the academic and personal spheres. During my undergraduate studies at McGill University from 1999 to 2003 I was fortunate to have taken numerous courses under the guidance of Professor Elizabeth Digeser. Her lectures greatly cultivated my desire to study late antiquity and the early medieval era at a higher level, particularly the course entitled ‘Rome and the Barbarian Kingdoms’, and for that I am very grateful. Granted the overall approach of this project, looking back on it now the name chosen for that course largely goes against my stance regarding early medieval identities and settlement, but as they say life is full of ironies, and I cannot help but smile when contemplating this contradiction. In the area of academic support this project would never have even left the runway (quite literally in some cases) if it wasn’t for the constant supervision and feedback I have received from my supervisor Dr. Tom Brown here at the University of Edinburgh. He has been my guide throughout both the MSc and PhD programmes over the course of many years, and has always been steadfast and reliable in his support through all of my ups and downs, both academic and personal alike. Other members of staff at Edinburgh who have helped me along the way include Dr. Judith Green and Dr. James Fraser, who in the earlier phase of my research introduced me to the broader concepts of ethnicity, cultural exchanges, and issues of gradual settlement. Prior to this I 7 had been largely concerned with the more immediate issues such as fortifications, coinage, or artefacts, but I had not considered the wider questions and how urban life can be studied in relation to them. I also have to thank Dr. Anthony Barrett from the University of British Columbia for training me in the basic jobs required on archaeological sites at the Lunt Fort in Baggington during August of 2002 while I was an undergraduate at McGill. Other notable people I would like to thank include the staff at the British Library, UCL and King’s College libraries, and the Warburg Institute for their continued help over the years with my research down in London. On a personal note, first and foremost I must thank my parents, Dr. Alan Ferguson and Mrs. Elizabeth Ferguson, for their constant emotional, financial, and moral support. They have by far required the greatest deal of patience while I have been undergoing the stress that any former or current doctoral student will be familiar with. Without them this study would most certainly not have come to fruition, and for that I will always be thankful. I also have to thank my brother Colin Ferguson for his friendship and support over the years, as he has often helped me through a difficult spell. Finally, I have to say thank you to all my friends from around the world who I have met on my travels, particularly Jeremy Orenbuch (earning first mention since he is a fellow history enthusiast and fellow McGill student), and Ryan Alldridge, who I grew up with in West Vancouver and have been a close friend with for over two decades.