Archaeologists have shown that towns can claim to be more representative of the nature of society of which they formed part than any other type of site. In towns we are most likely to find archaeological evidence of both long-distance and local trade, of exploitation of natural resources, of specialization and of technological evidence in manufacturing, of social differentiation, of the means of political control, and of the religious aspirations of the population.
Medieval Towns is the second and enlarged edition of the book Medieval Towns which was published in 1994 by Continuum. It surveys recent work on the archaeological study of medieval towns in Britain. Its emphasis is on the discoveries by archaeological teams, nearly always on sites to be developed or already under construction. From the vast haul of information now at our disposal, after thirty years of data gathering, we can begin to ask questions of many kinds. What went on in medieval towns? How did the rich and poor live, what nourished them, what did they die of? What was the weather like, the quality of life, the restrictions or special pleasures of living in towns?

John Schofield is Curator of Architecture at the Museum of London. He has been an archaeologist with the Museum since 1974 and has written several well-received books about medieval towns and buildings including The Building of London from the Conquest to the Great Fire (3rd edition, 1999), Medieval London Houses, (2nd edition, 2003) and (with Alan Vince) Medieval Towns (2nd edition, 2003).Alan Vince worked at the Museum of London from 1980 to 1988, and then at the City of Lincoln Archaeological Unit. He is the director of Alan Vince Archaeological Consultancy based in Lincoln.