IF you thought graffiti was a modern form of art – or vandalism – then think again.
Pilgrims travelling across Britain a thousand years ago left their own scribblings at religious sites and what they drew can tell us a lot about their understanding of worship and God.
One man who knows more than most about this historic graffiti is Dr Jamie Ingram, an expert in mediaeval archaeology.
If you want to learn what our ancestors drew and why they drew it, without the aid of spray paint, then pop along to St James Church, Forbury Road, where Dr Ingram is presenting a talk entitled The Medieval Pilgrimage Experience: Arrival, Destination and Engagement.
The talk, the third Professor Brian Kemp Memorial Lecture in memory of the founder and former President of the Friends of Reading Abbey, will explore some of the historic and archaeological evidence found at pilgrimage sites.
Combined with literary sources, Dr Ingram will explain how people interacted with those sites as a means to engage with the divine.
The lecture takes place on Saturday, March 18, at 2.30pm. Entry to the lecture is free, there will be a retiring collection.
