Material Culture (5 ECTS)

The course will be dealing with various kinds of material culture as sources for knowledge and research in Medieval Studies. A basic premise is that material sources are of the same level of relevance as other source types, such as written sources. With respect to relics of material culture, the questions of reliability and meaning are particularly fascinating. In addition, various types of material sources will be discussed and analyzed, varying from pictorial to archaeological remains, and from liturgical objects to buildings. Part of the course will be on-site and museum visits.