Places of Worship
- In what ways did church design in the region evolve over the post-medieval period?
- How were older church buildings adapted to serve the needs of post-medieval congregations?
- To what extent did the upheavals in ecclesiastical government during the 17th century affect the design and decoration of churches?
- When and how were classical elements incorporated into church architecture?
- What can we learn about the decoration and furnishing of post-medieval churches?
- To what extent was there figurative art in Protestant churches?
- When did pews or other forms of fixed seating become widely adopted?
- How did pulpit design evolve over the post-medieval period?
- Where were communion tables located? To what extent were these fixed structures?
- What can we discover about the dereliction and abandonment of religious buildings during the post-medieval period?
- Can we learn more about private chapels, including their use and design?
- Where did dissenting groups meet? To what extent did dissenting groups adapt their places of worship or have purpose-built spaces?
- To what extent did South-East Scotland’s churches and chapels reflect wider British and European trends in ecclesiastical architecture?
- What can we learn about the places where kirk sessions and presbyteries met?
- What can we discover about the implementation of discipline (e.g. stools of penitence, branks)?
- Is there evidence of trading and recreational activities taking place in churches and / or churchyards?
- What can we learn about the experience of Jews in South-East Scotland during the post-medieval period? Can we find physical evidence of other non-Christian faiths being observed in the region?
Wider Religious Landscapes
- What can we discover about religious activities in places other than churches?
- To what did Covenanting activity leave a trace in the archaeological record? Are there ways in which we can use material culture to better understand the Covenanting movement?
- To what extent did popular ritual activity persist at sites such as wells and crosses?
- How did the design of manses evolve during the post-medieval period? To what extent did manses differ from other dwellings?
- Where were glebes located? Is there evidence for glebe lands being managed differently from other farmland?
Burials
- How did burial customs in South-East Scotland change during the post-medieval period?
- In what ways does the design of coffins change? Does the type / place of origin of materials for coffin-making alter during the post-medieval period?
- To what extent did funerary monuments conform to national / international trends? Are there specific local / regional variations? Are local materials being used?
- Do funerary monuments become increasingly standardised over the post-medieval period?
- What can we learn about occupational identities from funerary monuments?
- How similar were rural and urban burial practices?
- Were post-medieval burial grounds congested? To what extent was the over-crowding of burial grounds a particularly urban problem?
- What can we discover about the extent to which graves were disturbed after burial during the post-medieval period?
- To what extent did burials within church buildings continue?
- How did the design and use of burial aisles evolve during the post-medieval period? To what extent did burial aisles incorporate older structures?