The History, Design and Archaeology of Staircases in the Mediaeval and Early Modern Periods
We might think of staircases as a seemingly functional or mundane part of our buildings. However, in this talk we will re-evaluate our relationship with stairs by looking at their history, design and archaeology. Superficially, staircases are a means to access upper or lower storeys in a building… but in the past they could be connected to notions of elite status, the control of access to important rooms, and major social changes in society.
During the mediaeval period, staircases were associated with the most prestigious buildings, such as churches or castles, which demanded upper levels in their architecture. However, by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries sweeping changes were afoot across society and the stairs began to be constructed in more humble homes. Their appearance can be linked to adjustments in attitudes to privacy, technology, possessions, education and the environment.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens. He hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval period. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT+1 on Thursday 25 April 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
Booking is now available via Eventbrite:
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the event please email: james@triskeleheritage.com
This address will only be monitored until the event begins at 7pm GMT, so please do login with plenty of time to spare.
