Reflections on the Role of Artisan Production in Urban Development in the Low Countries between ad500?1150

In this contribution a number of observations are voiced by the organisers of the symposium on the basis of the papers presented and the contributions in this volume. The major point which stands out is the difficulty of identifying craft activities in early towns in the Low Countries. Does this reflect the archaeological visibility or a condition of the past? Do we overestimate the role of craft production in town development or does the state of research up to now provide a false image? Moreover there is no uniform image for the development of craft production. The first glimpses of the chronological and regional variability (Coastal area, Meuse Valley, Rhine Valley) can be perceived.