Sacred Heritage: Monastic Archaeology, Identities, Beliefs

Description

Roberta Gilchrist critically evaluates the concept of sacred heritage. Drawing on global perspectives from heritage studies, archaeology, museology, anthropology and architectural history, she examines the multiple values of medieval Christian heritage. Gilchrist investigates monastic archaeology through the lens of the material study of religion and reveals the sensory experience of religion through case studies including Glastonbury Abbey and Scottish monasticism. Her work offers new insights into medieval identity and regional distinctiveness, healing and magic, and memory practices in the sacred landscape. It also reflects on the significance of medieval sacred landscapes as contested heritage sites which hold diverse meanings to contemporary groups. This title is also available as Open Access.

Roberta Gilchrist is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading. A pioneer of gender and life course studies in archaeology, she was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 2008, voted Current Archaeology's 'Archaeologist of the Year' in 2016, and became an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge in 2018. She is the author of several books, including Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course (2013) and Gender and Material Culture: The Archaeology of Religious Women (1993).

'... vivid and stimulating book ... Roberta Gilchrist paves the way for a stronger interlocking of medieval archeology and monument protection in relation to the sacred heritage, whereby medieval archeology through dedicated material research religiosity plays a central role.' Stephen Magnussen, Sehepunkte