NORFOLK Medieval graffiti

NORFOLK Medieval graffiti

Medieval voices

Recording England’s early church graffiti ion ion

Champ

Champ of Mat t hew of Mat t hew

: cour tesy

: cour tesy

ALL IMAGES

ALL IMAGES

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current archaeology | www.archaeology.co.uk

What can graffiti, whether impulsive or ornate, tell us about the hopes, fears, and interests of our medieval forebears? Matthew Champion describes a pioneering project that is shedding light on these enigmatic etchings.

ABOVE England’s first large-scale survey of medieval graffiti has brought volunteers face-to-face with the past. Here project members explore part of Norwich cathedral. LEFT A human face found at Stoke-by-Clare in Suffolk.

Six years ago, deep in the wilds of the Norfolk countryside, a small community archaeology project was born. Established as an entirely volunteer-led initiative, the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti

Survey had the ambitious aim of undertaking the first large-scale survey of medieval church graffiti in England (CA 256). Now, after making tens of thousands of discoveries, and receiving numerous national awards, the project is eloquently demonstrating how a practice that today is regarded as an antisocial nuisance can reveal a wealth of social and historical information about the medieval people who created these incised images and words.

January 2014 |

June 2016 |