Out of chaosBetween the Roman eagle and Odin's ravensaf Walter Pohl, Rodica Oanţă-Margihitu, & Zsuzsanna Hajnal

The collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries AD plunges Europe into a crisis of unprecedented dimensions. Endless wars, bitter power struggles and wave after wave of desperate refugees devastate the continent and leave the Antique World in ruins. But when the dust settles, a new Europe is born.

With great enthusiasm and passion, ten experts share their knowledge and give a compelling insight into an overlooked but absorbing chapter of European history – a time we call the Migration period. The starting point is in the eastern part of the continent, along the banks of the Danube in present-day Romania and Hungary. In the 4th and 5th centuries AD, this area is the setting for events that have given their name to the Migration period. It is here we meet the Huns, the Goths and later the Gepids: Three peoples who battle their way to power and who succeed in establishing new, transient realms and empires, while the influence of the Roman Empire crumbles and the power balance in Europe shifts dramatically. The reader is also initiated into developments in Scandinavian society at this time. New powerful realms are established here, too, under the influence of political developments further south.

Out of Chaos is richly illustrated and is aimed at everyone who wants to discover more about the how the foundation stones for modern Europe were laid. The book is published in conjunction with Moesgaard Museum’s exhibition of the same name.