The early Middle Ages were centuries of progress, in which peoples across Europe exchanged knowledge and goods. This is just not the image we have of this time, and the Allard Pierson Museum wanted to do something about it.
After the Western Roman Empire fell into decline, cultures in other places in Europe continued to flourish. The Roman Empire in the east, with Constantinople (now Istanbul) as its capital, was still very much alive. Trade and scientific and cultural exchanges took place here.
People of different faiths, although not always peacefully, lived side by side. This applied to more places in and around Europe, such as Christian Egypt, pagan Scandinavia and Islamic Spain. This religion and its culture were already part of our world in the Middle Ages.
Traveling through medieval Europe is the subject of the new exhibition Crossraods at the Allard Pierson Museum. In addition to Dutch masterpieces, there are many loans on display from the period 300 to 1000 AD. The overarching message is that these early Middle Ages were not as obscure as writers of later times would have us believe. Diversity was already part of Europe at that time and the different peoples adopted knowledge and customs from each other, despite their major differences.
Migrations
Upon entering, as a visitor you first get an overview of the different peoples that lived in Europe and that became adrift during this period. The Vandals invaded the Roman Empire, the Vikings plundered their way along the western European coast and the Muslim Arabs occupied Spain. The objects that the makers show here show the interaction between these peoples.
For example, we see a Viking treasure with coins from all over Europe. Or a chiseled Medusa head from Roman times with a Christian cross on its back, probably to ward off evil. For those who want to know when and where different peoples in Europe ran wild, the map projected on the floor clearly shows the migrations.
Technical gadgets
The exhibition is then organized according to different themes, such as the legacy of the ancient Roman Empire, the impact of war and the cross-fertilization of knowledge between different religions. The visitor receives additional information from ten travelers who actually existed. They tell their story in short films projected on the walkway, such as the nun Egeria who went on a pilgrimage in the fourth century.
The makers wanted to add an extra layer to abstract travel. When other people aren't walking down the aisle when you're trying to follow the cutscene, this works nicely. It is a bit wooden but the exhibition does come to life. This certainly applies to the holoboxes:boxes with objects from the exhibition, on which 3D animation is projected. An Avar sword, for example, shows how the Hungarian Avars dealt with death in a fictional afterlife.
Books medieval invention
The makers want to show visitors a literally and figuratively underexposed period in the historiography. A period in which traders, diplomats, pilgrims and other travelers traveled all over the continent and exchanged knowledge, which can be seen through special objects. We should not underestimate this knowledge transfer, as it turns out. The invention of the book is one of the best examples of this.
Without the copy culture of the Christian clergy, we would never have known as much about antiquity as we do today. The original Latin and Greek texts were written on rolls of papyrus, which perished quickly, especially in our climate. Because it was difficult to search in texts on a roll, the copiers invented the codex:the book form as we know it today, with a cover and pages. A possible index made the search a lot easier.
As an example there is an early copy of De Bello Gallico, written by the Roman general Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC). In it he reported on the war against Gallic tribes in the north of the Roman Empire. No scrolls of this report have survived and the Germans have left no written sources. Without the medieval urge to copy, all knowledge about these wars and the northern tribes would have been lost to us.
Clerics and nobles were the only ones who had access to books, especially because they were so precious. The paper was not yet known in Europe and here they used parchment, made from animal skins. You already needed a whole herd of sheep for a good book.
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This is not to say that the rest of the people never came into contact with written texts. Recent research shows that reading and writing were common even in rural areas, just not in books. Paper was already known in the Islamic world and many texts from antiquity were copied there too. However, the Arabs considered memorizing texts more important than copying them in writing.
Reconcile with the past
So why the term 'dark' with all this beauty? Later writers contrast the early Middle Ages with either the Western Roman Empire or the Renaissance. This last period started around 1300 in Italy and was not called the rebirth for nothing. Western European scholars rediscovered ancient arts and literary texts and described the period in between as a time of decline.
The exhibition shows the opposite. How much contact there was with one another in Europe, how far travelers and goods spread across the continent and how people of different religions lived side by side and influenced each other. Visitors gain these insights through surprising stories and through objects that are evidence of the globalized world, highlighted here and there by delights such as holograms. Definitely worth a visit.
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Crossroads
Some extra photos from the exhibition Crossroads. Traveling through the Middle Ages 300-1000'. They show the great diversity and the exchange of knowledge and products that took place during this period. The idea that the Middle Ages were dark can be thrown into the trash for good.
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Magic shell
This is an Aramaic bowl, found in Mesopotamia. The magic bowl is made to bury upside down in the house to capture demons from the underworld. The Aramaic text is written in a spiral pattern and contains the names of the persons it is supposed to protect. In addition, it contains a mix of names of demons, angels, saints and spirits and a number of magical words and signs. (Possibly found in Iraq, AD 475-525)
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Napoleon and Childerik's bees
In the tomb of the Frankish king Childeric I lay jewels of gold inlaid with garnet, including a ring and 300 bees sewn onto the king's clothing. Napoleon exchanged the French lily, symbol of the French kings, for Childeric's medieval bees to provide additional legitimacy for his emperorship. The original treasure has been lost and these are copies. (Emperor Napoleon I on his throne, 1806 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.)
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain1/5
Box papyrus roll
Before the book was invented, papyrus scrolls were used for writing. Papyrus scrolls were more fragile than paper and were often stored upright in wooden boxes. This chest from Egypt is decorated with cut-out circles. The text on it has not yet been deciphered. (Wood and bronze, Egypt, date unknown.)
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Coptic tunic
At the end of the fourth century, the majority of Egypt was Christian, although the ancient gods were still worshipped. The Coptic tunic from the eighth century comes from the museum's own collection. The bright red robes are still largely intact, which is unique for this period. You can even see how the fabric has been worked to make it a little fluffy. The influences from the east are clearly visible:the bands decorated with animals around the neck and arms are typically Persian. (The tunic has been restored and the photo is before the restoration.)