Literary Tombs and Archaeological Knowledge in the Twelfth-Century ‘Romances of Antiquity’
Naomi Howell
Abstract This chapter explores intertextual and intermedial encounters between imaginative literature archaeological knowledge in Western Europe the second half of twelfth century. Several popular ‘romans d’antiquités’ from this period, such as anonymous Roman d’Eneas (c. 1160), Benoît de Sainte-Maure’s Troie 1165), Heinrich von Veldeke’s Eneit (1170–1788), feature elaborate ekphrastic descriptions tombs legendary heroes warriors. Although romances antiquity are works fiction, their ancient burial practices reflect influence written accounts actual tomb openings exhumations preceding Thus, description Pallas is partly modeled on chronicler William Malmesbury’s account discovery ‘real’ Rome, c. 1045. Similarly, , Hector with its distinctive enthroned based part opening Charlemagne by Otto III year 1000. Reading these alongside intertexts sheds new light complex historical awareness literary interpretative communities that received them.
Bioarchaeology and social theory