Archaeology of Early Christianity, The

The Archaeology of Early Christianity. By William H. C. Frend. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996, xix + 412 pp., $34.00.

W. H. C. Frend has contributed a number of significant volumes on early Christianity over the years, perhaps most notably The Rise of Christianity. Here is another worthy contribution from Frend, a volume that covers the history of Christian archaeology from the Renaissance to the present. In his introduction Frend writes, "I have attempted to outline the growth in Christian archaeology from the Renaissance onwards, describing briefly excavations in the main areas of discovery, and placing these discoveries within the framework of cultural and religious movement of the day" (pp. xv-xvi), and Frend has succeeded admirably in this purpose.

Christian archaeology, like archaeology in general, was a "child of the Renaissance" (p. 11). It first achieved prominence in 1578 with the discovery of the catacombs in Italy (an earlier discovery of catacombs in 1475 had no ongoing significance). These discoveries were valued by the Church primarily for apologetic purposes rather than for any light they might have cast on early Christianity. After the Peace of Westphalia (1648) the catacombs were used to recover relics and provide primitive evidence for Catholic doctrine, e.g. the Eucharist and the cult of the Virgin Mary.

In the 19th century nationalist interests became a major force in Christian archaeology. After France gained control of Tunisia and Algeria, archaeological efforts were undertaken for the purpose of spreading French culture and reclaiming North Africa for the Catholic church. Prior to World War I various European governments (e.g. France, Austria-Hungary and Germany) sponsored archaeological expeditions in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and Europe that were designed to bring prestige to the states and governments involved and demonstrate European cultural superiority (which would abet Europe's already established political and economic hegemony). However, impartial study of the discoveries themselves was gaining ground and higher standards of scholarship made an impact during the later l9th century. The finds themselves proved to be of enormous importance and during the early 20th century began to have a significant impact on Christian historiography. This impact increased due to the discoveries that followed World War II.

Within the framework of his historical survey, Frend briefly discusses the major finds and their importance. These include discoveries bearing on such issues as the importance of Donatism, the character and importance of Gnosticism and other dissenting movements, the gradual decline of Christianity in North Africa about the time of and subsequent to the Arab conquests, and the vicissitudes of Christianity in Britain. Thus the book serves as an archaeologically based source of early Christian history as well as an history of archaeological endeavor. Frend sees the historical value of all these excavations as primarily two-fold: (1) They have served to shed new light on the major transitions in early Christian history, e.g. that from paganism to Christianity in the third century, from late antiquity to Byzantium in the fifth century, and from Byzantium to Islam in the seventh century. (2) Non-orthodox and dissenting traditions have become able to speak for themselves, e.g. movements such as Gnosticism, Donatism and Manichaeism.

While appreciating the genuine accomplishments of Christian archaeology over the past few centuries, Frend is justifiably critical of archaeological techniques of the past. The long-used technique of deblayage was concerned with horizontal clearing of significant buildings. It was a technique oriented toward architecture, the major interest of excavators into the 20th century. Neglected were such issues as stratigraphy and the way buildings fit into public life. Mortimer Wheeler introduced improved methods with the result that by the end of World War II scientific techniques were used in excavations with proper attention to stratigraphy and detail. Tragically, much of value had been lost through use of the old techniques.

This book is a historical survey and therefore has limited space for discussion of individual excavations. But it is unique in that it provides the reader with a history of Christian archaeology through 1994 and within that history demonstrates the importance of archaeology in the reconstruction of early Christian history. Discussions are judicious and fair, but critical when warranted. In fact his book is a masterful work from a distinguished scholar and deserves a place on the shelf of anyone seriously interested in early Christianity. Included are copious and helpful notes, a bibliography for each chapter as well as a general bibliography, maps and photographs. The latter part of the book contains, unfortunately, so many errata that one begins to anticipate them. This, however, is a minor matter in the light of the riches contained in this book, which should serve as a reference for years to come.