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The archaeological authority of the Bayeux Tapestry

Lewis, Michael John (2004) The archaeological authority of the Bayeux Tapestry. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.94479) (KAR id:94479)

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Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the extent to which artefacts depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry reflect those of the contemporary world of the eleventh-century, comparing them with archaeological evidence on the one hand and with early medieval artistic tradition on the other.

The main body of the work will present a series of ‘test cases’ in which the verisimilitude of different types of artefacts/attributes (architecture, arms and armour, ships, dress and clothing, along with beasts and vegetation) is assessed, by comparing them with objects found archaeologically and with other depictions in contemporary art. Drawing upon these findings the thesis will propose that, although the Tapestry is a depiction of a ‘real’ sequence of events, its artefacts were influenced more by artistic convention than by the contemporary scene, and that we should therefore be wary when using it as a visual source for the appearance of objects in the third-quarter of the eleventh century.

Building on the information and insights thus gained, the thesis will then present new insights into the world of the Tapestry designer and embroiderers, the relationship between the Tapestry’s patron and designer, how the Tapestry was produced, the way in which the designer used symbolism and iconography, the extent to which the Tapestry is typical of art of the period, and - more generally - into the depiction of the ‘real world’ in early medieval art.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD))
Thesis advisor: Gameson, Richard
DOI/Identification number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.94479
Additional information: This thesis has been digitised by EThOS, the British Library digitisation service, for purposes of preservation and dissemination. It was uploaded to KAR on 25 April 2022 in order to hold its content and record within University of Kent systems. It is available Open Access using a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, No Derivatives (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) licence so that the thesis and its author, can benefit from opportunities for increased readership and citation. This was done in line with University of Kent policies (https://www.kent.ac.uk/is/strategy/docs/Kent%20Open%20Access%20policy.pdf). If you feel that your rights are compromised by open access to this thesis, or if you would like more information about its availability, please contact us at ResearchSupport@kent.ac.uk and we will seriously consider your claim under the terms of our Take-Down Policy (https://www.kent.ac.uk/is/regulations/library/kar-take-down-policy.html).
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of History
SWORD Depositor: SWORD Copy
Depositing User: SWORD Copy
Date Deposited: 25 Aug 2022 15:45 UTC
Last Modified: 25 Aug 2022 15:46 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/94479 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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