Research Projects
Durham Medieval Archaeologists (DMA)
A research project of the Department of Archaeology.
Background
Durham Medieval Archaeologists (DMA) has been established by research postgraduates and staff in the Department of Archaeology to raise the profile of medieval research being undertaken within the Department and the wider research community. It is a network of researchers, drawn from several of the Department's Research Groups, which aims to provide an active forum for discussion, debate and the exchange of ideas between medievalists from various disciplines on current and future research topics which impact the study of the medieval period.
The workshop series 'The Sensory Perceptions in Medieval Society AD 450-1600' in 2008/2009 brought in a wide and fascinating breadth of papers from postgraduates, early career researchers and established academics. A final event, a well attended session run and organised by the DMA at the recent Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference, drew this series to a close. The new committee (Lisa Brundle & Emma Wells) are now seeking to develop an edited volume from the series, encompassing papers by Durham PhD students and other workshop and TAG participants.
Current project 2011
‘Medieval Transitions'
'Exploring Medieval Transitions' is a series of three one-day workshops hosted by the Departments of Archaeology at Durham University and the University of York, and the School of History at Newcastle University, examining transitions and material culture in the Middle Ages. The purpose of the workshops is to bring together interested scholars to discuss how political, social, religious and cultural transitions are manifested in the archaeological evidence, and how various forms of material culture were used to redefine and negotiate social change in those periods. The workshops are open to all archaeologists examining transitions within and around the medieval period (5th to 16 century A.D.).
October 22, 2011, Department of Archaeology, Durham University
'Exploring Transitions in Material Culture'
The material remains that archaeologists find and study reflect the traditions, practices, beliefs, and structures of past social groups. As such, artefacts reflect the changes that past societies encountered, either during temporal transitions or in transitional locations. The one day workshop will focus on how transitional periods and places affected social groups in the past, and how this in turn affected the material culture created by those societies.
For more information see:
http://sites.google.com/site/medtransitions/
The DMA committee: Brian Buchanan, Ronan O’Donnell, and Jocelyn Baker
Current project 2010
'DMA Research Seminar Series, Current Archaeological Projects and Research in Northern and Eastern Britain AD 400 - 1500'
Sustaining this vibrancy and momentum, starting in June 2010 the DMA will host a bi-weekly medieval seminar series 'Current Research Projects in Northern and Eastern Britain AD 400 -1500' with invited speakers to discuss their current research and projects. Seminars will include discussions on domestic and religious architecture, funerary archaeology, ceramics and settlement. These small scale seminars will keep students and staff abreast of current research directions and projects specifically in the field of Medieval Archaeology in the British Isles.
Starting in June 2010 the DMA will host a bi-weekly medieval seminar series 'Current Research Projects in Northern and Eastern Britain AD 400 -1500' with invited speakers to discuss their current research and projects. Seminars will include discussions on domestic and religious architecture, funerary archaeology, ceramics and settlement. These small scale seminars will keep students and staff abreast of current research directions and projects specifically in the field of Medieval Archaeology in the British Isles.
Medieval Research Seminars
For further information please contact us: archaeology.dma@durham.ac.uk
We look forward to seeing you there,
the DMA committee - Lisa Brundle and Emma Wells
DMA Project 2008-2009
The Sensory Perceptions in Medieval Society AD 450-1600
This project consisted of five multi-disciplinary workshops, which investigated the classical senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch in the medieval period. These workshops consisted of a mix of postgraduate, early careers, and professional academics from within Durham University and the wider academic community. The success of the project lay in the smooth running of the workshops and the breadth and quality of multi-disciplinary approaches towards the senses in medieval society. The DMA committee are now seeking to develop an edited volume from the series, encompassing papers by Durham PhD students and other workshop participants - so watch this space for further details on the edited volume. The final event, a well attended session at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG 09), which drew a significant audience and encompassed papers from Durham students and staff (Lisa Brundle, Emma Wells, Pam Graves, David Petts), was chaired and organised by the DMA committee (Gwen Dales, Sira Dooley-Fairchild, and Jocelyn Baker).
Past committee members that organised and ran the sessions
2008/2009
Gwen Dales
Sira Dooley-Fairchild
Jocelyn Baker
2007/2008
Abby Antrobus
Michelle Mundee
Eleanor Standley
Prof. Chris Gerrard
Staff
From the Department of Archaeology
- Miss Jocelyn Baker
- Miss Lisa Brundle
- Mr Brian Buchanan
- Miss Sira Dooley-Fairchild
- Professor Chris Gerrard
- Dr Pam Graves
- Dr Claire Nesbitt
- Mr Ronan O'Donnell
- Dr David Petts
- Dr Sarah Semple
- Mr Tudor Skinner
- Miss Emma Wells
From other departments
Related links
- Archaeological Archives at English Heritage
- Bamburgh Research Project
- Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Lanton Quarry Archaeological Site
- Liberi: Medieval and Renaissance Postgraduate Discussion Group
- Street House Anglo-Saxon Cemetery
- Tees Archaeology: Street House Anglo-Saxon Cemetery
- The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture
- The Society for Medieval Archaeology
- York Minster
