Florin Curta

This project examines deserted villages of medieval Southeastern Europe to provide a conceptual framework for the understanding of the process of colonization and ethnic polarization that formed the basis of the "making of Europe." The project utilizes primarily archaeological evidence, resulting from excavations in various countries, in both Western and Southern (Ireland, Italy) and Southeastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria). Only a comparative approach can illuminate aspects of rural life that have not received sufficient attention so far, namely colonization and ethnicity.