RCL17r08 A photographic survey of arc, circle and multifoil graffiti at Rochester Cathedral Part 1: report text J. H. Scott PCIfA

Transcription

1 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Homepage: RCL17r08 A photographic survey of arc, circle and multifoil graffiti at Rochester Cathedral Part 1: report text Abstract: Archive report on a photographic survey of arc, circle and multifoil graffiti at Rochester Cathedral. To cite this report: Scott, J. H. (2017) A Photographic Survey of arc, circle and multifoil graffiti at Rochester Cathedral, Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r08. DOI: To link to this article: Published online: 25 th May 2017 General Queries: jacob.scott@rochestercathedralresearchguild.org Produced by permission of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Any views and opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Dean and Chapter.

2 1 Contents (table 1) Section Title Page 2 Background 1 3 Field methodology 1 4 Post-processing 1 5 Data delivery, reporting and archiving (inc. table 2) 1 6 Index of records (table 3) 2 7 Bibliography 5 8 Acknowledgements 5 2 Background 2.1 In November of 2016 a photographic survey was conducted of the numerous compass - drawn graffiti located on virtually all surviving medieval fabric at Rochester Cathedral as part of a wider survey of medieval and post-medieval graffiti conducted by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild. Rochester Cathedral is a site particularly rich in surviving early examples of both and some 130 examples of these designs are recorded in this survey. 2.2 Champion (2015: p. 31) provides an overview of the traditional interpretations of these designs, amongst the most frequent forms of medieval graffiti in England and further afield. These interpretations ranged from their being created by the masons in testing their compass accuracy or demonstrate designs and geometry to apprentices to them being associated with consecration crosses. At Rochester however, as elsewhere, they are far too many in number for them to be entirely attributed to either and Champion suggests that they are primarily of an apotropaic nature, being a symbol with which to ward off bad spirits, demons or the evil eye. As to their precise nature it seems a single interpretation is unlikely to cover the motivations of their creators, which likely evolved over time. The distribution of compass-drawn graffiti at Rochester, clustered close to the previous sites of altars and shrines, seems to support Champion s interpretation that these symbols are of an apotropaic nature. 2.3 Much erosion has occurred to the graffiti so here we have photographed and digitally traced the inscribed images. Further images undoubtedly remain unidentified so future raking light surveys may well add to these records. 3 Field methodology 3.1 Photographs have been taken with a Canon EOS 100D with kit lens at 18mm. Raking light has been used to illuminate all records. 4 Post-processing 4.1 Photographs have been rectified to remove barrel lens distortion using GIMP image-editing software v (Filters/Lens Distortion/Main -10%). Traces have been produced using Microsoft Paint. 5 Data delivery, reporting and archiving 5.1 Report will be published in PDF format on the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild website at Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 1 of 5

3 5.2 A link for internet download of image files and raw counterparts will be provided for purposes of academic research, subject to Chapter approval, upon request to jacob.scott@rochestercathedralresearchguild.org. 5.3 A PDF version of this final report will be provided to the Dean and Chapter for their records. 5.4 Digital copies of the report, photographs and tracings will be provided to Kent Historic Environment Record. 5.5 Version history (table 2) Version Date Alterations By 01 25th May 2017 Published online J. H. Scott 02 14th October 2017 Reformatted in accordance with guidance from the Archaeology Data Service J. H. Scott 6 Index of records (table 3) 001 Sexfoil Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles Concentric circles Concentric circles Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles Concentric circles Concentric circles Circle Sexfoil Circle Concentric circles Circle Circle Circle Circle with cross Circle design Circle Moon Circle Segmented Circle Quatrefoil Quatrefoil Circle 53 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 2 of 5

4 032 Segmented circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Arc design Circle design Circle Moon(?) Segmented circle Circle Circle Quatrefoil(?) 048 Concentric circles Sexfoil Circles Circles Circles Arc design Concentric circles Sexfoil Circle Quatrefoil Circle Circle Circle 061 Circle Circle Arc design Circle Elaborate compass design Circles Quatrefoil Quatrefoil Circle Sexfoil Sexfoil Concentric circles Crescent(?) Sexfoil Circle 123, Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles 114 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 3 of 5

5 080 Sexfoil Circle Concentric circles Circle Elaborate compass design Sexfoil(?) Sexfoil Quatrefoil Quatrefoil Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles Quatrefoil Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles Circle design Circle Concentric circles Circle Circle Circle 110 Circle 111 Circle Circle Circle 114 Circle Circle Sexfoil Sexfoil Sexfoil Arc design Circle Concentric circles Circle with cross Circle with cross Circle Circle Circle Concentric circles 111 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 4 of 5

6 128 Sexfoil Circle Concentric circles Multifoil Concentric circles 77 7 Bibliography Champion, M. (2015) Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of Britain s Churches. London: Ebury Publishing. 8 Acknowledgments The author would like to thank Graham Keevill for his supervision and Alan Minnerthey for graphic design. Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 5 of 5