Year of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology

Department or School/College

Department of Anthropology

Committee Chair

Douglas MacDonald

Committee Co-chair

Anna Prentiss

Commitee Members

Erin Wecker

Keywords

Anglo-Saxon, Gender, Chatelaine

Subject Categories

Archaeological Anthropology

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the chatelaine as a marker of gender attribution and overall usage within the Anglo-Saxon culture. Chatelaines are artifacts used to suspend multiple items to be employed for such purposes as grooming, tools, or keys and have been used widely from the Roman occupation of England during which it was used by all genders, to the Ninth Century when it was primarily used by women. As such, it is asserted that a single artifact should not to be solely relied upon to assign a gender identity to a burial, that these should be used with reservation and/or with additional, independent lines of evidence to avoid erroneous conclusions.

By examining the chatelaine’s use as a diagnostic measure of identity within the culture or society and how that limited the possible interpretations it is expected to show that this artifact is not gendered in it’s overall usage and should not be further used to determine gender in Anglo-Saxon research. The overall goal of this research is to show the varied theories that are being used to explore the presence of chatelaine throughout the eras of the Anglo-Saxon culture and further to examine its presence regionally and its treatment by all persons within the cultural periods. Through this, it is hoped that an more inclusive view of Anglo-Saxon culture can be perceived and allow for unbiased and through research into gender, material culture, identity, and society.

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2022 DANE A. WILLIAMS