Centre – Periphery, World Systems, and Medieval Archaeology
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I have briefly outlined different levels of scale in the discussion of centre - periphery, from a local to a more global perspective. I have tried to show that the concepts of centre and periphery cannot be applied without qualification. Different realities are concealed behind them. The common factor is nevertheless that they signal some kind of contacts, in the form of giving and taking, of power, of stakeholders, of dependencies, and of communications. When employed in the right way, they give us a very useful analytical instrument, which says something important about the reality.
With my example of urbanisation I have tried to show that there is an area when medieval archaeological evidence plays an important role today. The urban archaeological material has created a much better foundation for further discussion of urbanisation in many respects.
