The development of the village and of the house as a family unit underlines the whole of Western history. This book traces the evolution of the settled landscape, with illustrated examples from archaeological sites throughout Europe. Medieval archeology has Western society . Considerably over the last twenty years, to become a popular and ever-increasing field of research. The present collaboration between two distinguished French scholars - a historian and an archeologist-provides an authoritative work of reference which will be welcomed by proffesional and student alike.