Arts and Crafts in Medieval Rural Environment. L'artisanat rural dans le monde médiéval. Handwerk im mittelalterlichen ländlichen Raum

Ruralia VI, 22nd – 29th September 2005, Szentendre – Dobogókő, Hungary.
The issue of arts and crafts in the medieval rural environment is from one point of view a much-discussed subject, about which – according to some critics and/or pessimists – everything has been already said. Dozens of books have already written and printed about the life in medieval villages, with many examples given of the arts and crafts. The last two or three decades have been especially marked by an abundance of texts and illustrations dealing with everyday life in the Middle Ages. These books, though, are also provide proof of many unverifiable statements, and even errors, that were and are made in the literature about the topic of medieval arts and crafts. The growing use of illustrations also brings with it a risk of becoming, in effect, decorative theatre or film props, instead of relying upon the real evidence, that is, the material remains from the Middle Ages. It is therefore essential to get to grips with this issue from the prospective of the settlement archaeology.
The Association Ruralia – The Jean-Marie Pesez Conferences on Medieval Rural Archaeology held its VI. Conference from 22nd to 29th September 2005, in Hungary in the Open Air Museum of Szentedre and in the Manréza Centre in Dobogókő. The theme of this meeting was 'Arts and Crafts in Medieval Rural Environment – L’artisanat rural dans le monde médiéval – Handwerk im mittelalterlichen ländlichen Raum'. The organisers of the conference wish to express their gratitude to all institutions and persons involved in the organisation, especially to the Open Air Museum of Szentendre, where the opening ceremony was held. We are also grateful to the staff of the Archaeological Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and to the Archeosztráda Ltd for their help in the organisation