Hadrian's Wall

Embodied archaeologies of the linear monument

Bibliographic Data

ID2405293
AuthorsClaire Nesbitt (Durham University), Divya P Tolia-Kelly (0000-0003-0428-8331, Durham University), Divya Tolia-Kelly (Durham University)
Year2009
Volume9
Issue3
Pages368-390
Publication date2009-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1469-6053 • E-ISSN: 1741-2951
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1469605309338428
OpenAlexW2123450899
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited50

The aim of this article is to consider the value of an embodied account of Hadrian's Wall. This heritage site has often been understood in predominantly imperial and military terms. While this is a crucial aspect of the historical meanings of the monument, there has been little focus on factors such as changing social role, socialities produced through its presence, and perceptions of the Wall evident in historical accounts. Drawing on theoretical approaches in archaeology, geography and anthropology, this article investigates the potential for enriching archaeological knowledge through these approaches. We focus on accounts of some early visitors to the Wall to consider movement on, and encounter with, the Wall through an embodied account. This account seeks to enrich our archaeological history by being attentive to the power of the material landscape on the senses of being and feeling of those that encounter it. The experience of the Wall is made intelligible through a body-centred account

Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Embodied cognition · Epistemology · Feeling · Focus (optics · Power (physics · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Archaeological Research and Protection · Geographies of human-animal interactions · History · Philosophy

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access