Post-medieval archaeology

Post-medieval archaeology is a term used in Europe to describe the study of the material past over the last 500 years. The field is also referred to as historical archaeology, a term originating in North America, and common in countries impacted by European colonialism. It is closely related to industrial archaeology and contemporary archaeology. Initially post-medieval archaeology did not extend its studies past the mid 18th century, though as a result of subsequent critiques within the field this cut-off date has been discarded, and the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology, Europe's leading professional society for the period, now explicitly considers its remit to be "the archaeology of the post-medieval world up to the present day and beyond".

The emergence of post-medieval archaeology began by exploring primarily European cultures such as Germany, France, The Mediterranean, and Scandinavia. This was done after World War II, where archaeology was primarily focused on richer countries in Europe such as Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.[1] Ever since then, there has been an emergence in studying post-medieval archaeology which has expanded along with the expansion of access to education and differing educational studies.

The traditional date for the beginning of the post-medieval period in Britain has been 1485 when, following the Battle of Bosworth, the Tudor dynasty took the throne. In practice, the medieval period is now often extended into the reign of the Tudor monarchs and the boundary between the two eras is not precise. As with all attempts to neatly periodise the archaeological record, efforts to impose an exact date on the transition are doomed to be questioned by current and new findings. As there is the urge to learn more about post-medieval archaeology in Europe, there is an additional urge to explore post-medieval archaeology in the wider world. Archaeologists and historians are hoping to expand the study of post-medieval archaeology to help better learn about the way of life after the medieval period.

Given the relatively strong historical record running alongside the archaeological one, post-medieval archaeology is often strongly positioned to study the effects of known social and political change. The immediacy of the period means that it appeals in fields such as genealogy as well as to students of social history.

Post-medieval sites include Nonsuch Palace in Surrey, the Rose Theatre in London and Fort Amherst in Chatham.