Specialism: The Archaeology of British Christianity - ARC00087H
Module summary
The importance of Christianity to the formation of Britain’s historic environment and social structure cannot be underestimated: from the time of its introduction in the 4th century, Christian precepts have had influence on almost every important stage in human life, from birth to death, and its buildings occupied central places in almost every rural and urban British settlement, and often still do. This module gives students the opportunity to explore the archaeology of the Christian religion in the British Isles through close examination of the buildings, material culture, landscapes, and commemorative practices shaped by Christian belief from the Roman to post-medieval periods, as well as how we manage historic Christian sites as archaeological resources, heritage tourism destinations, and living places of worship in the present day.
Related modules
A directed option - students must pick an Assessed Seminar module and have a choice of which to take
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2026-27 |
Module aims
3rd year specialism modules focus upon the archaeology of a well defined time, space or theme and the modules seek to allow students, in small groups to focus upon primary source material and to apply to it the theoretical and thematic perspectives learned over your first and second years. The aim is to facilitate the acquisition of deeper knowledge of one aspect of the past than has been possible in more general courses.
Specifically this module aims:
- To examine the scholarly approaches to and the range of evidence for Christian practice in Britain.
- To evaluate and critique approaches to studying historic Christian sites as well as the heritage management and conservation of these places in the present.
- To develop research, analytical and communication skills.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- demonstrate a broad and comparative knowledge of the archaeology of Christianity in the British Isles from the Roman period to the 19th century
- critically discuss and assess the key theories, methods and debates, and their limitations
- critically evaluate primary data and evidence
- communicate an in-depth, logical and structured argument, supported by archaeological evidence
Module content
The module will begin with several sessions providing a chronological overview of the development of Christianity in Britain, and the key historical and archaeological evidence for it, focusing in particular on Christian buildings, material culture, and practice from the Roman period, the early and late Middle Ages, and through the coming of Protestantism, non-conformism, and the post-medieval era. We will then move on to explore parochial church buildings, their fixtures and fittings, and how they accommodated and shaped Christian belief and worship in both the medieval and post-medieval periods. We will also examine medieval monasticism and the effects of the Reformation and Dissolution of the Monasteries, medieval and post-medieval burial and commemorative practice and monuments, and undertake a field trip to see some Yorkshire examples of the sites we have been learning about. To conclude, we will address the particular challenges that face historic churches in an increasingly secular modern Britain, thinking through their dual roles as heritage sites and living places of worship serving active, if dwindling, Christian communities. Throughout, the relationship between Christian belief/practice and wider themes such as memory, status, identity, gender, patronage, and community will be considered.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 100.0 |
Module feedback
Formative: oral feedback from module leaders
Summative: written feedback within the University's turnaround policy
Indicative reading
- Rodwell, W. 2005. The Archaeology of Churches, Tempus (Stroud)
- Aston, M. 2000. Monasteries in the Landscape, Tempus (Stroud)
- Jupp, P.C. and Gittings, C. 1999. Death in England: An illustrated history, Manchester UP (Manchester)