Mounting a Frankish defence against the Vikings? The possible context of specialised production in the Ghent area (northern Belgium) in relation to the military duties of the Ghentian abbeys

Recent archaeological excavations in the municipality of Gentbrugge, just southeast of Ghent (northern Belgium) and located along the river Scheldt, brought to light two Early Medieval sites. The recovered evidence shows that the first site (“Gentbrugge-Het Kamp”) clearly focused on livestock breeding (cattle, pig, horse), while the other site (“Gentbrugge-Aard”) focused on a range of craft activities (cereal processing, processing of animal products, lime-burning). Furthermore, a small number of finds suggests a military presence on Gentbrugge-Aard, possibly to be narrowed down to cavalry. Bo... Mehr ...