Island Economies
Early modern water architecture | © L. Dierksmeier
Subproject:
C 05 Island Economies. A comparing study on island societies during the late Middle Ages and early Modern Period
Project leadership:
Prof. Dr. Renate Dürr
Staff:
Annika Condit M.A., Dr. Laura Dierksmeier
Regions:
Spain, Sweden
What was the difference between island culture and mainland culture? How were brief resources, such as water, dealt with?
During the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Age, islands were mostly regarded as transit points for migration and trade, as destinations for expeditions, or as supply points for long journeys. The features characteristic of small islands, on the other hand, have infrequently been studied.
Based on material and intellectual resources, two sub-studies investigate how the customs and cultural techniques of island societies differed from those of the mainland. One archaeological case study deals with the destruction or investment of capital on the Swedish island of ‚Öland‘ (link to ‚Profit and Waste‘). The other follows the history of use of water on islands of the Spanish colonial empire from a historical point of view.
The material resources studied include depots of coins, jewelry and hack-silver, church buildings, rune stones, harbors, cisterns, water mills and desalination plants as well as archival written sources.