Archaeology of the Early Kentish Church
Canterbury, England
July 7 - August 16, 2008
Kent, at the extreme southeastern tip of England, is perhaps best known internationally as the landing place of St Augustine’s mission to convert the heathen Anglo-Saxons in 597 A.D. Within a generation of this formative moment in the annals of the Western Christianity, the Kentish royal house had sponsored the establishment of a network of monasteries within the borders of their kingdom. Surprisingly little is known of the physical appearance of these Anglo-Saxon monasteries and how they impacted the contemporary landscape. This new, innovatory project aims to bring fresh archaeological evidence to bear on this fascinating subject through fieldwork and excavation.
The main focus of archaeological investigations will be the site of the Anglo-Saxon monastery of Lyminge, founded in the year 633 A.D. by the daughter of the convert King Æthelbert. Located some 10 miles from the historic city of Canterbury and less than two miles from the English Channel, Lyminge lives up to the reputation of a quintessential English village, nestled in the stunning rolling landscape of the North Downs. Students will have the opportunity to participate in open-area excavations beside the medieval parish church standing on the site of the Anglo-Saxon monastery and in survey work designed to establish the extent and character of contemporary settlement within the wider landscape.
For general inquiries, please contact Dr. Gabor Thomas.