Lords of the Sea

Lords of the Sea: An archaeology of the medieval Gaelic maritime world is the first book to examine the archaeology and history of the sea lords and their associated coastal communities who existed along the western seaboards of Ireland and Scotland throughout the later Middle Ages.

Situated on the edge of Europe, these largely independent political territories lay beyond the control of the English and Scottish crowns and were grounded in the cultural practices and social norms of medieval Gaelic society. These maritime communities, exposed to the ever-changing weather of the western seaboard and shaped by their relationships with the tempestuous sea, created a series of connections with other groupings along the sea-routes of the region. Far from being isolated on the margins, they were intrinsically bound to the wider political and socio-economic networks of the west European social world. Drawing on three decades of primary research combining historical and archaeological sources and original case studies, this book builds a picture of the social and political life of these coastal people.

Richly illustrated with maps and photographs encompassing the coastal castles, settlements, churches and often finely carved funerary monuments that bear testimony to the vibrancy and durability of this society, this study will appeal to general readers of archaeology, geography and medieval history, students and researchers across Ireland and the UK, and visitors drawn to the historic coasts of the Wild Atlantic Way, the Scottish Hebrides and beyond.