The Cistercian Church at Pontigny
Undergraduate research Scholarship Scheme 2011
Project title: The Construction of the Cistercian Church at Pontigny, c. 1130-1150
Undergraduate Researchers: Lucy Henderson, Rose Harris Adamson, Gabriella Marchini (Warwick), Roo Alexander-Jones (Oxford Brookes) and Meredith Hilton (US)
Team Leaders: Dr Jenny Alexander (Warwick) Prof Terryl Kinder (Pontigny)
Fieldwork at Pontigny, July 2011:
Start date: 27th April 2011
FIELD WORK DATES: July 19th - 28th
End date: 30th September 2011
Pontigny is the most complete Cistercian church in France and is of strategic importance to the development of medieval architecture with its very early use of high rib-vaults. The project will test the theory that the building, including its vaults was constructed in a single campaign by recording and analysing the constructional and masons' marks known to exist on its fabric. Methodologies for recording and analysing data will be adapted for the specific requirements of Pontigny as this is the first time that a Cistercian church has been studied in this way.
The Role of the Students
The group of students will work with Prof Kinder and myself as a fully active team. Each student will be given specific tasks to undertake, for which they will have been prepared through training sessions at Warwick and briefing sessions on site. They will therefore experience fully the workings of a team project, with opportunities at each stage to contribute to discussions of methodology, analysis and the significance of the results. I have been undertaking research on constructional and masons' marks at Warwick for the last three years, and in collaboration with English Heritage's Research Team.
Training and Preparation
Training sessions will be undertaken at Warwick from April 2011 to build on their existing skills, for the Warwick students. Seminars will be held at Pontigny for the whole group on archaeological recording techniques, architectural photography, data preparation and analysis and in the architectural history of the region. One Warwick session will be a mini-project, undertaking recording at a local site, to give students field-work experience. Students will work together on preparation for seminars to develop team-working skills.
Students will gain skills in the archaeological examination of a standing building, in accurate recording, and in analysis of the data recorded. Their architectural knowledge will be enhanced by visits to other buildings in the area, including the site at Guédelon where a building is being constructed using medieval technologies.
April 2011. Training has started at Kenilworth Castle, with a drawing in the undercroft to the 14th-century hall measured and recorded to site. Masons' marks in the 16th-century buildings have also been identified.
Lucy, Gaby and Rosie at Kenilworth
Outcome
By working in collaboration with Prof. Kinder, it will be possible to complete the recording and analysis of the building this summer. The research will be presented at the International Medieval Conference in Leeds in 2012 and written up for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The students will have the opportunity to participate fully in both of these.
