MATDIS · Material Culture of Disability in Northern France (13th–15th Century)

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Project objective

In the late Middle Ages, the lives of disabled people were shaped by material objects – crutches, canes, adapted shoes, carts – most of which have since disappeared. Their absence from collections and narratives continues to influence how we imagine the medieval past. Material Culture of Disability in Northern France (13th–15th Century) (MATDIS) addresses this gap by recovering, reconstructing, and reinterpreting disability-related artefacts. It examines miracle narratives, visual sources, and surviving heritage items to understand how non-normative bodies interacted with and adapted their environments, and how these material traces have been preserved, misclassified, or erased over time.To achieve this, MATDIS combines historical analysis, art history, and material culture studies with participatory research involving disabled co-researchers. The project develops a typology of medieval mobility aids, reconstructs lost objects through experimental archaeology, and analyses how disability has been represented – or omitted – in both medieval sources and present-day heritage practices. It also recontextualises rare surviving examples such as ex-votos, revealing their social, functional, and symbolic roles.By linking detailed case studies to broader debates on representation, inclusion, and heritage-making, MATDIS directly contributes to the University of Turku’s priorities on cultural diversity, inclusive societies, and citizen participation in heritage. Its outputs – including a digital exhibition and methodological toolkit – will benefit historians, museum professionals, and the wider public, providing concrete strategies to integrate disability into curatorial narratives. MATDIS aims not only to expand the historical record but also to transform how cultural institutions engage with marginalised histories, offering a replicable model for more inclusive heritage interpretation across Europe and beyond.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• TURUN YLIOPISTO · TurkuCoordinatorFinland

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101275231