Dates and Times
05 March 2026
12:30 - 13:30
Event for
Location
Organiser
Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Art and Design
Speakers
Tracy Ireland
Enquiry
Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR)
Event about:
Culture and Creativity Seminar – Holy Bodies: Sacred Remains, Relational Biographies and the Everyday Afterlives of Portugal’s ‘Catacomb Saints’
Speaker: Tracy Ireland
Date\Time: Thursday 5 Mar 2026, 12:30-13:30
Location: Building 1 Level A Room 1A21, University of Canberra (NB Room 1a21 is accessed from the foyer joining Building 1 and Mizzuna café);
or Zoom: http://zoom.us/j/95029077504
Abstract
From the rediscovery of the ancient Roman catacombs in1578, until Pope Leo XII’s prohibition in 1881, the bones of men, women, and children – now known as catacomb saints – were exhumed from these subterranean cemeteries and widely distributed across Europe and the Americas. Unlike medieval reliquaries, these more recent simulacra were crafted to appear as richly adorned human bodies. In this talk I use the concept of the relational biography to think about the lived lives of these human beings, as well as the complex afterlives of the simulacra, and their entanglements in everyday social contexts. These assemblages of human remains, art and religious mystery, are vibrant agents that continue to generate networks of relations between people, things, narratives and beliefs; despite hundreds of years of religious, social and political upheaval.
All are welcome!
Bio
Tracy Ireland is Emeritus Professor of Cultural Heritage at the University of Canberra. An archaeologist and heritage practitioner, she is known for her research on heritage ethics, significance and social value which has influenced practice and public policy in Australia and abroad. She leads the Australian Research Council funded projects Heritage of the Air, Everyday Heritage and Nuclear Nation. Tracy is the immediate past President of Australia ICOMOS, Editor of Historic Environment, Honorary Fellow in the Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK,and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London.
Supports and fundings: Fundacão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Website: Holy Bodies Project
The Culture and Creativity Seminar Series is hosted by the Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. To discover upcoming seminars, please follow us on Facebook @uccccr, or Instagram and Twitter @uc_cccr. Alternatively, join our mailing list by emailing cccr@canberra.edu.au.
Any questions and accessibility requests please contact: cccr@canberra.edu.au.
UC acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where Bruce campus is situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.