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The
Frankish Period: A Unique Medieval Society Emerges
Adrian J. Boas
Beginning with the conquest of Jerusalem in
1099, Frankish rule in Palestine lasted until the abandonment
of'Atlit Castle in 1291. These two hundred years were a remarkable
period in the region's history. The Crusaders carved out a
"Kingdom of Jerusalem," controlling an area extending from
north of Beirut to south of Gaza on the coast, and stretching
inland several kilometers east of the Jordan Valley and the
Arabah Desert all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. Essentially
a European-type monarchy, the Franks ruled a varied population:
Suni and Shi'ite Muslims, Christian sects, Jews and Samaritans.
Massacres of local communities and the repatriation of the
majority of the Crusaders left the Franks with the difficult
task of repopulating the emptied cities. Village inhabitants
continued their lives little changed from their status under
Muslim rule. In the cities, the Frankish settlers began a
natural process of Orientalization in an environment that
differed greatly from their home in the West. The urban population
- a small class of nobles and a much larger class of free
city-dwellers, artisans, and shopkeepers - was joined by merchant
communes from European cities. The Church and the military
orders also emerged as important elements in Frankish society,
possessing extensive properties. And Frankish society extended
beyond the city walls as well. Adrian Boas begins his portrait
of this unique medieval society with a survey of its historical
chronology and a review of the history of archaeological work.
Boas then turns to settlement pattern, depicting first the
life of the cities: from city walls to cemeteries. His consideration
of rural settlement focuses on villages (including planned
villages founded by the Franks) and their various residential
dwellings, from narrow barrel-vaulted homes to courtyard houses.
Boas's portrait of the defense of the kingdom brings the awesome
Crusader and Muslim castles into view. Boas concludes his
portrait of Frankish society with a review of material culture,
the element of the Crusader remains that offers the clearest
demonstration of the interplay of Eastern and Western influences.
This interplay manifests itself in the finer arts as well
as mundane objects. Boas's presentaton of Crusader archaeology
leaves the reader with a vibrant appreciation of the vast
panorama of Frankish life in Palestine.
Arti-Facts
Edited by Eric Cline
Survey of the Hinterland of Sinop, Turkey; Results of the
CAARI International Conference, March 1998; What's In A Name?
The Epipalaeolithic, the Aceramic and the Early Neolithic
on the Territory of Sagalassos (Pisidia, Turkey); A Current
Late Roman Site in Nea Paphos, Cyprus; and "Crossing Borders:
Ancient Egypt, Canaan and Israel" Symposium
Book
Reviews
Edited by Michael Fortin
Ancient Israel: Its life and Institutions; Archaeology
and Biblical Interpretation; The Architecture of Oboda: Final
Report
183 Caught in the Net
John Younger
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