This volume is a brief survey of the possible source materials used by historians wanting to present a history of the Byzantine world during the 8th and 9th centuries. It also highlights some of the problems inherent in attempting to interpret such materials in a historical context.

Contents: Introduction; Material Culture: The architecture of Iconoclasm: Buildings; Mosaics and frescoes; Beyond the Empire: The Christian monuments of Syria and Palestine; Manuscripts: Dated Greek manuscripts, 700-850; Undated Greek manuscripts with decoration; Documentary evidence: polemical pamphlets?; Icons: The evidence from Mount Sinai; The Icons; Icons of questionable association with iconoclasm; The evidence from texts; Conclusions; Sculpture (non-architectural): Sculpture in the round: textual evidence; Ivories; Textiles: Introduction; Silks known from written evidence; Preserved representational Byzantine silks; Conclusions; Metalwork; Coins and numismatics: Coins and the economy; Coins: the material evidence; Sigillography: Seals and their value; Seals: the material evidence; Epigraphy; Archaeology; Historical geography; The Written Sources: Historiography and chronography: Introduction; Byzantine texts; Historical and chronicle literature in other languages; Hagiography and related writing: Hagiography: sources and genre; Individual lives; Acts of ecclesiastical councils; Theological and polemical writings: letters, treatises, homilectic literature, hymnography: Individual texts and authors; Other individual writers; Anonymous works; Anti-Jewish and anti-heretical writings; Apocalyptic writing; Letters; Legal texts and literature; Records, official and unofficial documents, works of reference: State documents; Military treatises; Notitiae Episcopatuum; Itineraries and ’geographical’ literature; Lexicographical and bibliographical literature; Non-liturgical verse and epigrammatic literature; Index.

'... insightful annotation and discussion of buildings and archeology, manuscripts [...], icons, sculpture, textiles, metalwork, coins and seals... all Byzantinists should own a copy.' Religious Studies Review '... a necessary, eminently useful, and reliable book... It is admirable in presenting material sources alongside written ones...' Speculum 'This fully interdisciplinary exercise makes a major contribution towards re-evaluating Byzantium's 'Dark Age'.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History