A Commercial City in the Frankish Kingdom Quentovic

Year 2023, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 1566 - 1589, 30.09.2023

Zeynep Güngör , Oraj Algın

https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1321135

Abstract

Quentovic is an medieval trading city founded in the 6th century at the point where the Canche River empties into the English Channel in the nothermost part of the Frankish Kingdom. The city was one of the busiest trading centers in northwestern Europe during both the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties of the Franks. Products from the interior of Gaul reched many points of Nothern Europe such as Britain, Frisia and Scandinavia through traders sailing from Quentovic. As its fame increased from the 8th century, it became one of the most frequanted ports of the transportation route between Britain and Gaul. From this date on it began to find a place for itself in the works of Anglo-Saxon historians and Frankish annals. One of the mints of the Frankish Kingdom was also Quentovic. At the same time, the city is one of the official customs tax offices of the kingdom. Quentovic was also greatly affected by the Viking attacks on Gaul durin the 9th century and it was attacked twice, the first in 842 and the second in 844. The city, which lost its former reputation after this date, disappeared completely in the 11th century, due to influence of geographical conditons. Quentovic’s exact location has been determined since the second half of the 20th century and many excavations have been caried out by leading European archeologists such as Pierre Léman and David Hill.

Keywords

Quentovic, Gaul, Trade, Frankish Kingdom, Medieval

Frank Krallığı’nda Bir Ticaret Kenti Quentovic

Abstract

Quentovic Frank Krallığı’nın en kuzeyinde Canche Nehri’nin Manş Denizi’ne döküldüğü noktada VI. yüzyılda kurulmuş bir erken Orta Çağ ticaret kentidir. Kent, Frankların hem Merovenj hem de Karolenj hanedanları dönemi boyunca kuzeybatı Avrupa’nın en işlek ticaret merkezlerinden biri olmuştur. Galya’nın içlerinden gelen ürünler Quentovic’ten denize açılan tüccarlar vasıtasıyla Kuzey Avrupa’nın Britanya, Frizya ve İskandinavya gibi pek çok noktasına ulaşmıştır. VII. yüzyıldan itibaren şöhretinin artmasıyla birlikte Britanya ile Galya arasındaki ulaşım güzergahının en uğrak limanlarından biri olmuştur. Bu tarihten itibaren Anglosakson tarihçilerinin eserlerinde ve Frank yıllıklarında kendisine yer bulmaya başlamıştır. Frank Krallığı’nın darphanelerinden biri de Quentovic’te bulunmaktaydı. Aynı zamanda kent, krallığın resmi gümrük vergisi ofislerinden biri konumundadır. Galya’ya IX. yüzyıl boyunca gerçekleştirilen Viking saldırılarından Quentovic de oldukça etkilenmiş, ilki 842 ve ikincisi 844 olmak üzere iki kere saldırıya uğramıştır. Bu tarihten sonra eski şöhretini kaybetmiş olan kent XI. yüzyıla gelindiğinde coğrafi şartların da etkisiyle tamamen ortadan kalkmıştır. Quentovic’in tam konumu XX. yüzyılın ikinci yarısından itibaren tespit edilmiş, Pierre Léman ve David Hill gibi önde gelen Avrupalı arkeologlar tarafından pek çok kazı çalışması gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Keywords

Quentovic, Galya, Ticaret, Frank Krallığı, Orta Çağ

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