Placing the Pillar of Eliseg : Movement, Visibility and Memory in the Early Medieval Landscape

Murrieta-Flores, Patricia and Williams, Howard (2017) Placing the Pillar of Eliseg : Movement, Visibility and Memory in the Early Medieval Landscape. Medieval Archaeology, 61 (1). pp. 69-103. ISSN 0076-6097

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Abstract

THE LANDSCAPE CONTEXT of the early 9th-century monument known as the Pillar of Eliseg is interrogated here for the first time with GIS-based analysis and innovative spatial methodologies. Our interpretation aims to move beyond regarding the Pillar as a prominent example of early medieval monument reuse and a probable early medieval assembly site. We argue that the location and topographical context of the cross and mound facilitated the monument’s significance as an early medieval locus of power, faith and commemoration in a contested frontier zone. The specific choice of location is shown to relate to patterns of movement and visibility that may have facilitated and enhanced the ceremonial and commemorative roles of the monument. By shedding new light on the interpretation of the Pillar of Eliseg as a node of social and religious aggregation and ideological power, our study has theoretical and methodological implications for studying the landscape contexts of early medieval stone monuments.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Medieval Archaeology
Additional Information:
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Medieval Archaeology on 19/06/2017, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00766097.2017.1295926
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1200/1204
Subjects:
?? archaeologyhistoryarchaeology ??
ID Code:
89476
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
09 Jan 2018 09:38
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
21 Mar 2024 00:45