Naples : a case of urban survival in the early Middle Ages ?

Abstract

Paul Arthur, Naples: a case of urban survival in the early Middle Ages?, p. 759-784. Working from both written sources and from a body of new archaeological evidence, the paper intends to demonstrate the quality of Naples through early medieval times. It is argued that the evidence demonstrates its continued urban status at a time when many old Roman towns effectively vanished or become minor centres, no longer possessing urban characteristics. The reasons for the singular status of Naples are discussed and an attempt is made to review its importance within the context of the changing European and Mediterranean worlds of the later first millennium.