The Early Medieval Galician Village: Nucleus of Social Structure And Scene of Feudalization

Abstract

This study aims to accurately describe the formation of an early medieval Galician village and its role in creating ownership and kinship structures which provide the framework for social hierarchy at the heart of rural environments, with the premise being the use of the term village as both a population and agricultural centre. The study also looks to define the social mechanisms which enabled said hierarchy and to a greater extent the monastic orders to extend the feudalization process by means of seigniorial strategies, among which we can highlight incomuniatio, perfiliatio, and precarial grants.