Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on rich archaeological evidence uncovered at Ichijodani, Pitelka proposes a new understanding of late medieval Japanese society.Exploring the city's layout, residents' possessions, politics, war, religion, and cultural networks, he argues that provincial centers could be dynamic and vibrant nodes of entrepreneurship and sophistication.
Trade Review'Detailing the establishment, occupation, brutal destruction, and subsequent recreation of a nationally important heritage site, Morgan Pitelka invites us to join the 'dance of agency' at Ichijodani, seat of the powerful Asakura clan. Through detailed and painstaking reconstruction of the quotidian experiences of this provincial city, Pitelka eloquently demonstrates how investigations here both defined medieval archaeology in Japan, and demand a fundamental re-evaluation of the dominant historical narratives around the unification of Japan in the late sixteenth century.' Simon Kaner, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures and the University of East Anglia
'Reading Medieval Ruins invites us into the heart of a destroyed sixteenth-century city and resurrects the people who made their lives and livelihoods in the shadow of a fortified castle. It is both a beautifully rendered argument for the vitality of provincial urban spaces and a moving meditation on what was lost when these thriving communities were destroyed by war. By illuminating the ordinary lives and mundane objects that are too often obscured by tales of samurai generals and their conquests, this book makes a groundbreaking contribution to the history of Japan's medieval era.' Amy Stanley, Northwestern University
'A wonderful and intellectual read, this book is an engaging look at medieval Japan through the eyes of both a modern historian and a common citizen living in the city of Ichijōdani before its destruction. This book balances enjoyability and history education without, at any point, being dry or dull. One can confidently recommend this book to both refined scholars and history enthusiasts.' Fin Davey, World History Encyclopedia
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Prologue; 1. A provincial palace city as an urban space; 2. The material culture of urban life; 3. Late medieval warlords and the agglomeration of power; 4. The material foundations of faith; 5. Culture and sociability in the provinces; 6. Urban destruction in late medieval japan; Epilogue: The excavated nation on display; Bibliography; Index.
