This chapter traces how archaeology in the early and mid twentieth century began to uncover the patterns of early medieval emporia, and how scholars struggled to come to terms with them in the face of contemporary theoretical constructs. Understanding of these sites was often impeded by the imposition models of thought that had been created to make sense of the industrialization process of the nineteenth century and the societies that had subsequently emerged in Europe and North America. I examine how modern concepts of states, urbanism, and markets have shaped research, and the problems this has created. I argue that the approaches that have been adopted thus far remain too entrenched in models of thought that were created to make sense of modern societies.