Quentovic

Quentovic was a Frankish emporium in the Early Middle Ages that was located on the European continent close to the English Channel. The town no longer exists, but until recently it was thought to have been situated near the mouth of the Canche River in what is today the French commune of Étaples. Archaeological discoveries led by David Hill in the 1980s found that the actual location of Quentovic was east of Étaples, in what is now the commune of La Calotterie. It was an important trading place for the Franks and its port linked the continent to England, specifically to the southeastern county of Kent. From what we know today, Quentovic was founded by a Neustrian king in the early 6th century. It was one of the two most prominent Frankish ports in the north (the other being Dorestad) until it was abandoned, probably in the 11th century. Merchants were drawn to this place because the number of trading posts at the time was limited. Quentovic was also the place where Anglo-Saxon monks would cross the English Channel on their pilgrimage to Rome. A lack of physical evidence, and the sudden disappearance of this emporium, make the town difficult to interpret. Some of the most important historical evidence on Quentovic comes from documents of taxation and especially through the town’s minting of coinage. Coins minted during both the Merovingian and the Carolingian dynasties have been found.

The Merovingian dynasty is considered to have begun in the year 481 and lasted until they were succeeded by the Carolingians in the 750s. Quentovic may have been established in the final decade of the 5th century, although it is more likely that it came into existence in the early 6th century. The earliest minted coins from Quentovic date from the 6th century. The reason for the town’s creation likely had to do with a need by the Franks to increase their long-distance trade. The location of the port of Quentovic was also ideal for controlling the frontiers of the recently solidified empire. This location would help to prevent luxury goods from being monopolized by certain aristocrats. In its early years, Quentovic was probably just a simple fairground where trading occurred, as well as a place where merchants went to and from Kent in Anglo-Saxon England. Merchants located in Quentovic would have been primarily Frankish, Saxon, or Frisian. In a trading centre like this, they would have set up permanent shelters and also would have built warehouses to store their goods during the winter months. Trade with the Anglo-Saxons, mainly in Kent (and possibly in Hampshire), was vital for the community. Exports to England would have been primarily textiles although they would have also included wine and quern-stones. In Kent, pottery bottles, glasses, textiles, and gold coins from the early 8th have been discovered, all produced by the Franks. Slaves and other goods would have also been exchanged in Quentovic. The earliest mention of Quentovic in literary text was originally believed to have been written in a charter by Dagobert I. It concerned merchants who were travelling to the fair of St-Denis to trade. This charter is now recognized to be a forgery and was most likely written by someone in the late 9th century. Although Quentovic was mainly an economic centre, because of its location it was also a place where people would pass through in their travels.

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