The place of folklore in archaeological landscapes : narratives and identity in medieval to modern Britain
This research explores the relationship between archaeology and folklore through folk narratives about sites and landscapes in Britain and their association with changing socio-political contexts from the medieval period to the present day. Whilst the potential for folklore to contribute to archaeological investigations has been noted by a number of researchers in recent years, and projects and publications in this field have increased, a vast majority focus upon the problems of undertaking such work, yet fail to address these by developing explicit theoretical and methodological approaches. The use of folklore in archaeological research thus remains a marginal and often mistrusted exercise, seen here to rise in part from a lack of understanding of the development of folklore as a discipline and how folklorists approach and interpret their materials. Taking an interpretive approach to legends and landscapes, a strategy for examining historic and contemporary folklore is developed in order to scrutinise changing engagements with archaeological sites and landscapes through time, and the role of archaeological sites in the development of narrative traditions. Using the folk figure Arthur as a thematic focus of
Paphitis, C.
The place of folklore in archaeological landscapes : narratives and identity in medieval to modern Britain. This research explores the relationship between archaeology and folklore through folk narratives about sites and landscapes in Britain and their association with changing socio-political contexts from the medieval period to the present day. Whilst the potential for folklore to contribute to archaeological investigations has been noted by a number of researchers in recent years, and projects and publications in this field have increased, a vast majority focus upon the problems of undertaking such work, yet fail to address these by developing explicit theoretical and methodological approaches. The use of folklore in archaeological research thus remains a marginal and often mistrusted exercise, seen here to rise in part from a lack of understanding of the development of folklore as a discipline and how folklorists approach and interpret their materials. Taking an interpretive approach to legends and landscapes, a strategy for examining historic and contemporary folklore is developed in order to scrutinise changing engagements with archaeological sites and landscapes through time, and the role of archaeological sites in the development of narrative traditions. Using the folk figure Arthur as a thematic focus of
place folklore archaeological_landscape narrative identity medieval modern britain explores_relationship archaeology folklore folk narratives site landscape britain association change socio_political contexts medieval_period present_day whilst potential folklore contribute archaeological_investigation note number researcher project publication field increase vast_majority focus_upon problem undertake work yet fail_address develop explicit theoretical_methodological approach use folklore archaeological thus remain marginal often mistrust exercise see rise part lack development folklore discipline interpret material taking interpretive legend landscape strategy examine historic contemporary folklore develop order scrutinise change engagement_archaeological site landscapes time role archaeological_site development narrative tradition using folk figure thematic focus