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This may be of interest to list members - apologies for any cross posting - Mark *** NEW PUBLICATION *** From Constantine to Charlemagne: An Archaeology of Italy, AD 300-800 ISBN 1-85928-421-3. 586pp. £55 hardback. Publisher: Ashgate, Aldershot. Dr Neil Christie has produced a substantial new publication centred on the archaeology of Italy. This book offers an overview of the archaeological and structural evidence for one of the most vital periods of Italian history, spanning the late Roman and early medieval periods. The chronological scope covers the adoption of Christianity and the emergence of Rome as the seat of Western Christendom, the break-up of the Roman west in the face of internal decay and the settlement of non-Romans and Germanic groups, the impact of Germanic and Byzantine rule on Italy until the rise of Charlemagne and of a Papal State in the later eighth century. Presenting a detailed and fully illustrated review and analysis of recent discoveries by archaeologists, historians, art historians, numismatists and architectural historians, Neil Christie identifies the changes brought about by the Church in town and country, the level of change within Italy under Rome before and after occupation by Ostrogoths, Byzantines and Lombards, and reviews wider changes in urbanism, rural exploitation and defence. The emphasis is on human settlement on its varied levels - town, country, fort, refuge - and the critical assessment of how these evolved and the changes that impacted on them. Too long neglected as a 'Dark Age', this book helps to further illuminate this fascinating and dynamic period of European history. Further information on the book (including a downloadable list of contents and the Introduction) is available on the publisher Ashgate's website: <http://www.le.ac.uk/cwis/externallinks/statement.html> http://www.ashgate.com/index.htm <http://www.ashgate.com/index.htm> ** Dr Neil Christie is Reader in Archaeology at the University of Leicester; he has published widely on Italian archaeology and has also run field and excavation projects in central Italy. This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses, which could damage your computer system: you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.