September 2013: Dr. Matthew Johnson, Understanding Bodiam Castle, England

September 15, 2013 at 3pm                                                 Archaeological Institute of America Lecture

Dr. Matthew Johnson         Understanding Bodiam Castle, England

Bodiam Castle, built in the 1380s in south-eastern England, is perhaps the most extensively discussed castle in medieval Europe. It is certainly the most controversial—was it built as defense against the French, or was it an old soldier’s dream house, a fairytale castle set in a symbolic landscape? In this talk, I report on three seasons of archaeological survey at Bodiam. A team from the University of Southampton in the UK and Northwestern University in the USA, working in collaboration with the National Trust, have surveyed the castle fabric, mapped the surrounding landscape, and conducted geophysical survey. Our conclusions are that the academic ‘battle for Bodiam’ has generated more heat than light. I present a new view of the castle, stressing its active role in regional politics and economics, and understanding Bodiam at a serried of scales from the smallest action of washing one’s hands in the chapel piscine out to the castle’s place in world history.