Christopher Wickham
Encyclopedia
Christopher John Wickham, FBA
(born 18 May 1950) is Chichele Professor of Medieval History
in the University of Oxford
and Fellow of All Souls College
.
and Keble College, Oxford
, where he obtained first a BA
and then in 1975 a DPhil
with a thesis entitled Economy and society in 8th century northern Tuscany.
He spent nearly thirty years of his career at the University of Birmingham
, as Lecturer (1977–87), Senior Lecturer (1987–89), Reader (1989–93), and Professor of Medieval History (1993–2005). In 2005 he was appointed Chichele Professor of Medieval History
in the University of Oxford
and Fellow of All Souls College
.
In 1998 he was elected Fellow of the British Academy
.
He is a member of both the Labour Party
and Democratici di Sinistra (Democrats of the Left)
.
He is married to fellow medieval historian, Leslie Brubaker.
through to about 1300. His emphasis has largely been social and economic, though he has undertaken study into the law and politics of the area as well. More generally Wickham has worked under a Marxist framework on how European society changed from late antiquity and the early Middle Ages
, and has pioneered comparative socio-economic analysis in this period.
In 2005 his work Framing the Early Middle Ages was published, which claims to be the first synthesis of early medieval European history since the 1920s. It is exceptional for its use of hitherto unincorporated evidence from both documentary and archaeological sources as well as its bold use of comparative methods and rejection of national narratives. It has been recognised by various prizes, including the Wolfson History Prize
in 2005, the Deutscher Memorial Prize
in 2006 and the American Historical Association
awarded its James Henry Breasted Prize in January 2007. He has recently just edited Marxist History Writing for the Twenty-First Century, a volume that sees various academics discuss the status and profile of Marxist historiography
, and has now produced a general history of early medieval Europe, published by Penguin, which examines cultural, religious and intellectual developments of the period not covered in his previous socio-economic study.
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(born 18 May 1950) is Chichele Professor of Medieval History
Chichele Professor of Medieval History
The position of Chichele Professor of Medieval History is one of the statutory Chichele Professorships established at All Souls College, Oxford. This position was originally established in 1862 for the Chichele Professor of Modern History.-Professors:...
in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Fellow of All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
.
Biography
Wickham was educated at MillfieldMillfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
and Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, where he obtained first a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and then in 1975 a DPhil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
with a thesis entitled Economy and society in 8th century northern Tuscany.
He spent nearly thirty years of his career at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, as Lecturer (1977–87), Senior Lecturer (1987–89), Reader (1989–93), and Professor of Medieval History (1993–2005). In 2005 he was appointed Chichele Professor of Medieval History
Chichele Professor of Medieval History
The position of Chichele Professor of Medieval History is one of the statutory Chichele Professorships established at All Souls College, Oxford. This position was originally established in 1862 for the Chichele Professor of Modern History.-Professors:...
in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Fellow of All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
.
In 1998 he was elected Fellow of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
.
He is a member of both the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and Democratici di Sinistra (Democrats of the Left)
Democrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a social-democratic Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
.
He is married to fellow medieval historian, Leslie Brubaker.
Scholarship
His main area of research is Medieval Italy - and more specifically Tuscany and central Italy - from the end of the Roman empireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
through to about 1300. His emphasis has largely been social and economic, though he has undertaken study into the law and politics of the area as well. More generally Wickham has worked under a Marxist framework on how European society changed from late antiquity and the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and has pioneered comparative socio-economic analysis in this period.
In 2005 his work Framing the Early Middle Ages was published, which claims to be the first synthesis of early medieval European history since the 1920s. It is exceptional for its use of hitherto unincorporated evidence from both documentary and archaeological sources as well as its bold use of comparative methods and rejection of national narratives. It has been recognised by various prizes, including the Wolfson History Prize
Wolfson History Prize
The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public...
in 2005, the Deutscher Memorial Prize
Deutscher Memorial Prize
The Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial Prize is an annual prize given in honor of historian Isaac Deutscher and his wife Tamara Deutscher for new books published in English "which exemplifies the best and most innovative new writing in or about the Marxist tradition." It has been on-going since...
in 2006 and the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
awarded its James Henry Breasted Prize in January 2007. He has recently just edited Marxist History Writing for the Twenty-First Century, a volume that sees various academics discuss the status and profile of Marxist historiography
Marxist historiography
Marxist or historical materialist historiography is a school of historiography influenced by Marxism. The chief tenets of Marxist historiography are the centrality of social class and economic constraints in determining historical outcomes....
, and has now produced a general history of early medieval Europe, published by Penguin, which examines cultural, religious and intellectual developments of the period not covered in his previous socio-economic study.
Books
- Economy and society in 8th century northern Tuscany (1975)
- Early medieval Italy: central power and local society, 400–1000 (1981)
- The mountains and the city: the Tuscan Apennines in the early Middle Ages (1988)
- City and countryside in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy: essays presented to Philip Jones edited by Trevor Dean and Chris Wickham. (1990)
- Land and power: studies in Italian and European social history, 400–1200 (1994)
- Community and clientele in twelfth-century Tuscany: the origins of the rural commune in the plain of Lucca (1998)
- Courts and conflict in twelfth-century Tuscany (2003)
- Framing the early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean 400–800 (2005)
- Marxist History-Writing for the Twenty-First Century (2007; editor)
- The Inheritance Of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000 (2009)
Recent major articles
- 'Un pas vers le moyen âge' in Les campagnes de la Gaule à la fin de l'Antiquité (ed. P. Ouzoulias et al.), (Antibes, 2001) pp. 555–67
- 'Medieval studies and the British School at Rome', Papers of the British School at Rome. Vol lxix (2001) pp. 35–48
- 'Paludi e miniere nella Maremma toscana, XI-XIII secoli' in Castrum 7 (ed. J.-M. Martin), (Rome, 2001) pp. 451–66
- (with E. Fentress), 'La valle dell'Albegna fra i secoli VII e XIV' in Siena e Maremma nel Medioevo (ed. M. Ascheri), (Sienna, 2001) pp. 59–82
- 'Rural economy and society' in Italy in the early Middle Ages (ed. C. La Rocca), (Oxford, 2001) pp. 118–43
- 'Society' in The Early Middle Ages (ed. R. McKitterick), (Oxford, 2001) pp. 59–94
- 'Una valutazione sull'archeologia medievale italiana', Quaderni storici. Vol cvi (2001) pp. 295–301
- 'Comunidades rurales y señorio debil: el caso del norte de Italia, 1050-1250' in Comunidades locales y poderes feudales en la Edad media (ed. I. Álvarez), (Logroño, 2001) pp. 395–415