Abstract
The Cistercians' choice of dedicating the entire order to the Virgin Mary is of vital importance to an analysis of the ideology embodied in their specific architecture. Mary, the "debodied" sacred body, the "dewomanized" woman, was the very essence of the Cistercian way of life. The aim of this paper is not to make an overview of the Cistercian order but to show how ideology —here understood as a mental dimension of a material practice —can be seen in material culture and, in this case, identified in written sources.
Highlights
The Cistercians' choice of dedicating the entire order to the Virgin Mary is of vital importance to an analysis of the ideology embodied in their specific architecture
I would like to argue that most of the feminist archaeology today is still deeply rooted in the anthropology of the 1970s and the traditional Marxist view that ideology is one-way determined by production
The Cistercians' choice of the Virgin Mary as a symbol for the entire order is of vital importance to an analysis of the ideological dimension of their architecture
Summary
The Cistercians' choice of dedicating the entire order to the Virgin Mary is of vital importance to an analysis of the ideology embodied in their specific architecture. Subsistence patterns and trade have been seen as reflected in the archaeological record, in contrast to beliefs, attitudes, moral commitments etc The latter have been relegated by Clarke to the "Black Box" (Clarke 1968:58pp). I would like to argue that most of the feminist archaeology today is still deeply rooted in the anthropology of the 1970s and the traditional Marxist view that ideology (here, gender patterning) is one-way determined by production. This leads to a preoccupation with division of labour, housekeeping, family life, etc. Concerning the method of treating the actual material, I have been inspired by Roberta Gilchrist's spatial analysis of gender domains in medieval English nunneries (churches not included) (Gilchrist 1988).The ritual aspect of the analysis is influenced by Staale SindingLarsen's work "Iconography and Ritual" (1984), where the iconography of the Roman
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
