John Moreland

The world(s) of the cross

Abstract To fully understand the meaning of early medieval crosses, like the one at Bradbourne (Derbyshire), we have to appreciate their liturgical, apotropaic and liminal roles. With the Reformation, changes in attitudes to the power of images resulted in the destruction of such ‘monuments of superstition’. The fragments of the Bradbourne cross were ‘rediscovered’ in the late eighteenth century and, through the eyes of the antiquarian Hayman Rooke, metaphorically converted into a Roman altar. The cross‐shaft was re‐erected in the late nineteenth century, and was used by Bishop Browne as a ‘text’ to perpetuate a ‘Reformationist’ view of English history in which Roman Catholicism played no part. Bishop Browne, Hayman Rooke, the iconoclasts and the medieval parishioners of Bradbourne contextually constructed their own monument.

Land and Power from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England?

Archaeology, and in particular the study of ceramics, lies at the heart of the interpretive schemes that underpin Framing the Early Middle Ages. While this is to be welcomed, it is proposed that even more extensive use of archaeological evidence - especially that generated through the excavation of prehistoric burial-mounds and rural settlements, as well as the study of early medieval coins - would have produced a rather more dynamic and nuanced picture of the transformations in social and political structures that marked the passage from late Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England.

Integration and social reproduction in the Carolingian Empire

Abstract Models which stress economic and political factors in empire‐building are limited in their ability to explain the reproduction of these complex socio‐political phenomena; ideological and, more generally, social factors must be emphasized. The Carolingian Empire lacked a sophisticated and overarching administrative and military structure which would ensure elite integration. We argue that the production of a Christian ideological code of order and social organization was developed in an explicit attempt to effect the reproduction of the system. This ideological order was disseminated by the Church and was reflected in the material culture of the period: the churches, mortuary practices, palaces, monasteries, gospel books and mosaics were active elements in social integration. The archaeology, art history and architectural history of the eighth and ninth centuries are used to illustrate the attempts by the Carolingians to ensure social integration in the face of fragmentation.

Recreating Sheffield’s Medieval Castle In Situ using Outdoor Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) experiences generally function well indoors, inside buildings, where, typically, lighting conditions are stable, the scale of the environment is small and fixed, and markers can be easily placed. This is not the case for outdoor AR experiences. In this paper, we present practical solutions for an AR application that virtually restores Sheffield’s medieval castle to the Castlegate area in Sheffield city centre where it once stood. A simplified 3D model of the area, together with sensor fusion, is used to support a user alignment process and subsequent orientation tracking. Rendering realism is improved by using directional lighting matching that of the sun, a virtual ground plane and depth masking based on the same model used in the alignment stage. The depth masking ensures the castle sits correctly in front of or behind real buildings, as necessary, thus addressing the occlusion problem. The Unity game engine is used for development and the resulting app runs in real-time on recent high-spec Android mobile phones.