Overview

Nominated for Current Archaeology Book of the Year 2026 The image of the armoured knight mounted on his charging warhorse is one of the most evocative of the Middle Ages. As distinctive symbols of social status, horses were central to the medieval aristocratic image and closely bound up with concepts of knighthood and chivalry, while as weapons of war bred for size, strength and stamina, they changed the face of battle. Drawing upon new interdisciplinary research, this volume presents a fresh perspective on warhorses, and medieval horses generally, in Britain, understood within its wider European context. It adopts an integrated approach that covers the full array of evidence for medieval horses, from their physical remains (bones, teeth and DNA), equipment and armour, through to visual sources such as sculpture and wall paintings, and documentary and landscape evidence for the environments in which they were bred and trained. Analyses of these sources of information are first presented individually, and then integrated and cross-compared with the historical record to present a new chronology of horse stature, conformation and appearance and to generate new understandings of the changing place of the horse in the medieval world.

Full Product Details

Author:   Oliver H. Creighton (Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter (United Kingdom)) ,  Robert Liddiard ,  Alan K. Outram ,  Carly Ameen
Publisher:   Liverpool University Press
Imprint:   Liverpool University Press
ISBN:  

9781836243359

ISBN 10:   1836243359
Pages:   464
Publication Date:   08 May 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Military Uses of Horses: An Historical Chronology Oliver Creighton and G.P. Baker Chapter 3: All the King's Horses: Equine Networks G.P. Baker and Robert Liddiard Chapter 4: Equine Infrastructure: Stables, Studs and Tiltyards G.P. Baker, Robert Liddiard and Oliver Creighton Chapter 5: Visual Culture: Sculpture, Art and Objects Oliver Creighton Chapter 6: Horse Equipment: Bits and Pieces Robert Webley Chapter 7: Exoskeleton: Armour and Horseshoes Oliver Creighton, Alan Outram and Robert Webley, with contributions by Tess Townend Chapter 8: Skeleton: Zooarchaeology Katherine Kanne, with contributions by Carly Ameen, Alan Outram, Marine Durocher, Allowen Evin, Alex Pryor and Ludovic Orlando Chapter 9: The Changing Horse: Equine Stature Alan Outram and Oliver Creighton, with contributions by Carly Ameen, G.P. Baker, Helene Benkert, Isabel Díaz López, Katherine Kanne, Robert Liddiard, Karina Rapp and Tess Townend Chapter 10: Horses and Medieval Society Oliver Creighton, Robert Liddiard and Camille Vo Van Qui Chapter 11: Conclusions

Reviews

‘This book deftly combines disciplinary perspectives, recognising the limitations of individual approaches and source bases, to paint a fuller picture of this complex subject. It was laid a foundation for further study and provided greater nuance to our understanding of the medieval elite horse. It is a very rich account of a subject which continues to interest historians, students, and the medievally curious public alike.’ Sunny Harrison, Current Archaeology ‘The book exemplifies how disciplines can partner to transform the way we do history.’ Dr Sophie Thérèse Ambler, History Today

‘This book deftly combines disciplinary perspectives, recognising the limitations of individual approaches and source bases, to paint a fuller picture of this complex subject. It was laid a foundation for further study and provided greater nuance to our understanding of the medieval elite horse. It is a very rich account of a subject which continues to interest historians, students, and the medievally curious public alike.’ Sunny Harrison, Current Archaeology

Author Information

Oliver H. Creighton is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Exeter. Robert Liddiard is Professor of History at University of East Anglia. Alan K. Outram is Professor of Archaeological Science at University of Exeter. Carly Ameen is Lecturer in Bioarchaeology, University of Exeter. Kate Kanne is Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University College Dublin.

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