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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Archaeology of the Church |
| Unit code |
ARCH25008 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
I/5
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
|
| Unit director |
Emeritus Professor. Mark Horton |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Arts |
Description including Unit Aims
The role of archaeology in understanding Christian worship and the Church from early times to 1000 AD.
Aims:
This unit aims to provide an understanding of how archaeology has contributed both to an understanding of the Early Christian Church, and how this enables us to understand the wider role of the Church in both classical and medieval society. It will focus on excavations, landscape studies and building archaeology, from key sites, in the Mediterranean, Continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, until around 1000 CE.
Intended Learning Outcomes
- a broad understanding of the physical evidence of the early Christian Church
- a perspective on how scholars (some from particular religious perspectives) have attempted to link text with the archaeological evidence
- an understanding the archaeology of standing buildings - the phasing of fabric, the reading of style etc. - and specifically related to ecclesiastical buildings.
- an appreciation of how landscape archaeology and history are making a particular contribution to the functioning of the early church within society.
Teaching Information
Lectures, seminars (prepared by students, unassessed) and fieldtrip(s)
Assessment Information
All the assessment is summative:
1) Essay (general church topic) 2500 words (50%).
2) Essay (specific topic, relating to site, church or artefacts) 2750 words (50%).
Reading and References
- Morris, R. and Pyrah, C 1998. Church Archaeology, Research Directions. CBA.
- Rodwell, W. 1989. Church Archaeology. London. Batsford
- W.H.C. Frend 1996. The Archaeology of Early Christianity. Cassels
- Painter, K. 1994. Churches Built in Ancient Times. Society of Antiquaries.
- Stalley, Roger, 1999. Early Medieval Architecture. OUP
- Blair J. 2005 The Church in Anglo Saxon Society
- Sarah Foot 2006 Monastic Life in Anglo-Saxon England 600 - 900
- Morris, R. 1989. Churches in the Landscape. London: Dent.
