Materiality matters: new approaches to medieval wax seal studies

Wax seals have been widely studied in terms of how they look,
what they depict and what they might mean. But their physical
characteristics and their importance as a method of communication
are still not fully understood.


Our 'Wax Seals in Context' project investigated the material
composition, manufacture and use of medieval wax seals, to
understand how this important medium of communication was made.
It used visual examination, material analysis and archival
evidence.


The project focused on English royal and governmental seals of
the 12th and 13th centuries.