The introductory chapter frames medieval sacred heritage in a global context. The growing interest in sacred heritage is charted and its value is discussed in relation to economic, political, social and spiritual value, drawing on examples that demonstrate the multiple values of sacred heritage to both secular and faith communities. Finally, the theme of heritage value is linked to academic interpretations of the sacred in medieval archaeology, advocating a practice-based approach.

Archaeology and material culture are used in this chapter to consider how monastic experience responded to illness, ageing and disability. The approach taken is influenced by the material study of religion, which interrogates how bodies and things engage to construct the sensory experience of religion, and by practice-based approaches in archaeology, which examine the active role of space and material culture in shaping religious agency and embodiment. The archaeology of monastic healing focuses on the full spectrum of healing technologies, from managing the body in order to prevent illness, through to the treatment of the sick and preparation of the corpse for burial.