Church Orientation in the Landscape

A Perspective from Medieval Wales

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11617140
AutoresAnne Allen (Canterbury Christ Church University, autor correspondente), Anne Sassin Allen (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Ano2015
Volume173
Fascículo1
Páginas154-187
Data de publicação2015-11-18
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoArchaeological Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0066-5983 • E-ISSN: 2373-2288
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00665983.2016.1110781
OpenAlexW2172886624
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas10
Referências citadas34

Studies have proposed diverse explanations in attempting to find meaning behind the varied range in the orientation of church buildings. From patronal feast days, to the seasonality of their foundation, from magnetic east, to the Easter Calendar, and most recently to harvest festival celebrations, no one assessment has resulted in a definite answer. This paper aims to consider the orientations obtained from 630 medieval churches in Wales, the first macro-scale survey of the Welsh structures, a large number of which were aligned far from the traditional 90°, indicating other factors were at play. The study argues that, more than elsewhere in Britain, orientation was set in relation to prominent human-made and natural features in the surrounding landscape, many of which had acquired acquired a strong significance in local collective memory

Archaeology · Art · Cartography · Epistemology · Foundation (evidence · Geography · Geometry · Meaning (existential · Natural (archaeology · Orientation (vector space · Perspective (graphical · Scale (ratio · Set (abstract data type · Visual arts · Welsh · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Computer Science · Historical Studies of British Isles · History · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Mathematics · Philosophy