The objects and their biographies in Fifty Early Medieval Things open up all sorts of interesting questions and present a varied and complex picture of the early medieval world. There is a really wonderful selection of things here, and I will certainly use this book in my early medieval class. -- Robin Fleming, Boston College, and author of <I>Kings and Lords in Conquest England</I> Fifty Early Medieval Things is an important teaching text that serves to underline the importance of material culture studies to the medieval era. The scholarship is outstanding, the range of objects impressive, and the geographic coverage welcome in its breadth. The entries for the `things' are clear and delightful. -- Valerie Garver, Northern Illinois University, and author of <I>Women and Aristocratic Culture in the Carolingian World</I> Fifty Early Medieval Things does an excellent job of presenting objects as agents in, and informants of, the medieval world, as well as how medievalists have come to understand the nature of 'things.' Suitable for medieval survey courses and beyond, this book's innovative presentation opens new possibilities for teaching the early Middle Ages. -- Edward M. Schoolman, University of Nevada, Reno, and author of <I>Rediscovering Sainthood in Italy</I>