Abstract
Monks were makers and artisans—some were better than others. They participated in trade and helped their communities be self-sufficient. Excavations at monastic settlements throughout Egypt include evidence of monastic makers with their baskets, mats, textiles, shoes, and books. To focus on monastic things is to encounter the persistent belief that monks renounced all things and did not form attachments or entanglements. Since monks worked as makers, it is important to reconsider how mundane things of ordinary life impacted their goals for indifference to things. This essay seeks to adjust the narrative of thingless monasticism by taking a closer look at materials that were both delightful and dangerous. To uncover the biographies of the mundane, I employ theories from materiality and craft studies to create a holistic framework for including the perishable elements of monastic life. I will demonstrate the value of reconstructing biographies of monks and their perishable things through the use of legacy collections and current archaeological work at monastic sites.