Byways in British Archaeology

Johnson's detailed and enthusiastically written 1912 history of Britain's churches and their churchyards emphasises the concept of 'folk memory'.

Walter Johnson (Author)

9780521228770, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 18 November 2011

542 pages
21.6 x 14 x 3.1 cm, 0.68 kg

Originally published in 1912, this volume provides a detailed and enthusiastically written history of Britain's churches and their churchyards. With particular emphasis on the concept of 'folk memory', a diminishing means of recalling and understanding the past, Johnson's study looks at material archaeological discoveries whilst also addressing the significance of place names, site orientation, folktales and pagan prehistory. In this well-illustrated and informative work, Johnson's extensive research navigates the complexities of Britain's religious past, producing a series of fascinating interrelated arguments. Johnson addresses numerous topics, including the construction of churches on pagan sites, the churchyard yew and the survival of past rituals within burial customs. This book provides a detailed and far-reaching investigation of the archaeology and architecture of hundreds of churches across England and Wales, and will be enjoyed by anybody with an interest in British archaeology, or the histories of British churches and Christian traditions.

1. Churches of Pagan sites
2. Churches on Pagan sites (continued)
3. The secular uses of the Church fabric
4. The secular use of the Church fabric (continued)
5. The orientation of churches
6. The orientation of graves
7. Survivals in burial customs
8. The folk-lore of the cardinal points
9. The churchyard yew
10. The cult of the horse
11. 'The Labour'd Ox'
12. Retrospect
Addenda
Index.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]