Heritage, community, and place-making along the River Thames.

We are interested in supporting applications to undertake doctoral research on cultural and religious heritage in the River Thames region of England. The project will use anthropological and ethnographic research methods to investigate the connections between archaeological sites, historic built environments, and wider landscapes connected with the River Thames, and how these inform senses of place and local identities today. There is the potential to link the research to current University of Reading excavations at Cookham Abbey, Berkshire, as a focused case study for exploring the values attached to sacred Christian heritage, alongside other sites and landscapes on the River Thames. The research will make empirical and theoretical contributions to the growing sub-discipline of the anthropology of heritage, as well as contribute to the development of effective community engagement and heritage research impact practices. Proposals should provide concrete research questions that can be investigated within this theme, as well as evidence of knowledge of the theoretical and conceptual debates pertaining to this topic. The primary research methods will be ethnographic research and interviews, so familiarity with these methods is essential. The student will work closely with both Archaeology and Geography & Environmental Science staff within SAGES.