Ed Moore
Viking-Age EDITOR
I am a third-year PhD student in Lancaster University's History Department researching the early medieval stone sculptures found in western river valleys in the Kingdom of Northumbria and their interactions with the natural and historical landscape they are placed in. My research aims to understand the various factors that influence the selection of sites for these sculptures, looking at visibility, correlation of these sites in their wider landscapes with other features in those landscapes, as well as the similarities in site selection with earlier features, notably the similarity between early medieval stone sculpture sites and Roman defensive fortifications. Ultimately seeking to showcase that stone sculpture sites were chosen very deliberately by their stakeholders, be it to boost their audience, showcase their piety, or aid with local navigation.
My research is heavily grounded in the digital humanities, utilising GIS and network analysis to explore early medieval stone sculptures' visual, distribution and decorative networks. Central to the research are ideas of experience, that these sculptures are not witnessed in isolation but alongside a plethora of other things in the same sensory space, both near and distant, and that the lack of isolation ultimately impacts the reception, reaction and use of these sculptures over time. Part of this studies how these sculptures relate to patterns of movement in the early medieval period.
My research takes an interdisciplinary approach integrating the study of the material culture with literary evidence, place-names and landscape studies. My research feeds into a broader interest in multidisciplinary works, material culture, spatialisation and cultural and social syncretism. I also welcome submissions on the general topics of material culture, digital humanities and local heritage.