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Revisiting the medieval Scandiavian ceramic censers - new comparisons, new interpretations

Johansson, Erik LU orcid (2024) In Medieval Ceramics 42. p.23-40
Abstract
In 2019, archaeologists carried out a large excavation of parts of the Dominican convent in the centre of Lund, in Scania, Sweden, which yielded a substantial medieval ceramic assemblage. This article aims to compare selected sherds from this assemblage with a collection of funerary pots, or censers, retrieved further south in the same town block during excavations in the convent church in 1906. Questions concerning the function of these vessels are discussed anew, following research by Per Kristian Madsen. It is suggested that they had a symbolic value, besides their function as containers, which could explain their use or reuse in medieval burials. When opinions concerning death changed in the 13th century, individuals believed that they... (More)
In 2019, archaeologists carried out a large excavation of parts of the Dominican convent in the centre of Lund, in Scania, Sweden, which yielded a substantial medieval ceramic assemblage. This article aims to compare selected sherds from this assemblage with a collection of funerary pots, or censers, retrieved further south in the same town block during excavations in the convent church in 1906. Questions concerning the function of these vessels are discussed anew, following research by Per Kristian Madsen. It is suggested that they had a symbolic value, besides their function as containers, which could explain their use or reuse in medieval burials. When opinions concerning death changed in the 13th century, individuals believed that they now had a personal responsibility before God and the funerary pots/censers thus became symbols of piety and poverty, intended to reduce time in purgatory for the deceased. (Less)
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organization
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Contribution to journal
publication status
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in
Medieval Ceramics
volume
42
pages
17 pages
ISSN
1358-2496
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e0b1ae56-24d0-4719-ab81-99ac05024328
date added to LUP
2024-06-04 08:50:59
date last changed
2024-06-13 03:03:07
@article{e0b1ae56-24d0-4719-ab81-99ac05024328,
  abstract     = {{In 2019, archaeologists carried out a large excavation of parts of the Dominican convent in the centre of Lund, in Scania, Sweden, which yielded a substantial medieval ceramic assemblage. This article aims to compare selected sherds from this assemblage with a collection of funerary pots, or censers, retrieved further south in the same town block during excavations in the convent church in 1906. Questions concerning the function of these vessels are discussed anew, following research by Per Kristian Madsen. It is suggested that they had a symbolic value, besides their function as containers, which could explain their use or reuse in medieval burials. When opinions concerning death changed in the 13th century, individuals believed that they now had a personal responsibility before God and the funerary pots/censers thus became symbols of piety and poverty, intended to reduce time in purgatory for the deceased.}},
  author       = {{Johansson, Erik}},
  issn         = {{1358-2496}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{23--40}},
  series       = {{Medieval Ceramics}},
  title        = {{Revisiting the medieval Scandiavian ceramic censers - new comparisons, new interpretations}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}