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Theatres of Closure: Process and Performance in Inhumation Burial Rites in Early Medieval Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 June 2020

Sue Harrington ,
Stuart Brookes Open the ORCID record for Stuart Brookes [Opens in a new window] ,
Sarah Semple Open the ORCID record for Sarah Semple [Opens in a new window]  and
Andrew Millard
Sue Harrington
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31–34 Gordon Square, LondonWC1H 0PYUK Email: [email protected]
Stuart Brookes
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31–34 Gordon Square, LondonWC1H 0PYUK Email: [email protected]
Sarah Semple
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LYUK Email: [email protected]
Andrew Millard
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LYUK Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Inhumation burials are recorded in Britain and Europe during excavations in a standardized way, especially graves of early medieval date. Just a limited number of attributes are usually foregrounded and these mainly concern skeletal identification, the grave plan and, when a burial is furnished, a list of objects, particularly metalwork, as well as occasional reference to burial structures, if present. In this paper, we argue that concealed within these recorded details are attributes that often receive little attention, but which can provide evidence for community investment in the individual funerary rite. These include grave orientation, grave morphology, the body position and the empty spaces in the grave, as well as categories of material culture. We argue here that these factors enable us to define communal burial profiles and can facilitate the identification of group perceptions and actions in dealing with death. By capitalizing on these additional aspects of funerary ritual, archaeologists can move away from a general dependency on well-furnished burials as the main stepping-off point for discussion of social and cultural issues. This has particular relevance for regions where unfurnished burial rites are the norm and where furnished rites do not rely on a wealth of metalwork.

Type
Research Article
Information
Cambridge Archaeological Journal , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , August 2020 , pp. 389 - 412
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research

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