Viking-Age Trade: Silver, Slaves and Gotland

The influx of silver dirhams from the Muslim world into eastern and northern Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries is well known, with the largest concentration on Gotland. Recent discoveries have shown that dirhams were reaching the British Isles as well. The slave trade has been proposed as one driver for transactions, but the book highlights the trade in slaves as driving exchanges on a trans-continental scale. The contributions to this volume shed light on processes and key places, such as the mints of Central Asia, the chronology of the inflows of dirhams to Rus and northern Europe, the reasons why silver was deposited in the ground, the functioning of networks, slave-trading in the British Isles, and the stimulus and additional networks that the Vikings brought into play.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 498 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The influx of silver dirhams from the Muslim world into eastern and northern Europe during the ninth and tenth centuries is a well-documented phenomenon, with the largest concentration of hoards found on the Baltic island of Gotland. Recent discoveries have revealed that dirhams were also reaching the British Isles. While the fur trade has been proposed as one driver for these transactions, the slave trade offers a complementary explanation.

This volume does not provide a comprehensive overview of hoard finds or a definitive answer to the question of what brought the silver north. However, it highlights the role of the slave trade in driving trans-continental exchanges. The connections between these regions were complex, dynamic, and often unclear to contemporaries, and they have remained a challenge for modern scholarship.

Contributions to this volume shed light on various processes and key locations, including:

Mints of Central Asia: The production and circulation of silver dirhams in Central Asia played a crucial role in the trade.

Chronology of Dirham Inflows to Rus and Northern Europe: Understanding the timing and patterns of dirham inflows to these regions is essential for understanding the dynamics of the trade.

Reasons for Silver Deposition in the Ground: The decision to deposit silver in the ground rather than use it immediately raises questions about economic, social, and cultural factors that influenced this practice.

Gotland as a Hub: Gotland's strategic location on the Baltic Sea made it an important hub for the trade, with a high concentration of hoards.

Networks and Functioning: The slave trade involved complex networks of traders, intermediaries, and slavers, similar to modern drug trade networks.

Slave-Trading in the British Isles: The slave trade extended to the British Isles, with evidence of African slaves being traded for silver and other goods.

Viking Involvement: The Vikings played a significant role in the early medieval slave trade, bringing new networks and stimuli into play.

By combining general surveys, presentations of fresh evidence, and regional case studies, this volume provides a firmer framework for understanding Gotland and the early medieval slave trade. It contributes to our understanding of the complex interactions between different regions, economies, and cultures during this period.

Weight: 920g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367554699