Hermitages and monastic influence in early medieval peopling processes (6th - 11th Centuries): The sites at the Upper Arlanza basin and their interpretation problems

The study of peopling processes, landscape articulation and social organization during the Early Middle Ages is a complex issue. The Iberian Peninsula presents a heterogeneous landscape and the processes of Romanization and Christianization have had different degrees of impact throughout the territory. Therefore, the historical approach requires integrated management of written and material sources and needs to be analysed from a local standpoint. This piece of research focuses on a clearly delimited area, the Upper Arlanza basin, along with the interpretation problems arising from the study of some minor archaeological sites, identified in the past as hermitages. This paper preliminarily introduces some new working hypotheses suggested by the main features of these sites, their closeness and relation to other major settlements in the area, and the existing parallels in other areas in the north of Spain. As a result, our aim is to stimulate scientific debate and contribute to throwing light on the transition period, still rather unknown, between the ancient and feudal worlds.