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Social analysis of early Anglo-Saxon inhumation burials: archaeological methodologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

Jeremy W. Huggett
Jeremy W. Huggett*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ
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Abstract

This paper presents a new approach to the social analysis of Anglo-Saxon inhumation burials from the fifth to seventh centuries AD. It defines a range of stylistic attributes which encapsulate a succession of decisions and actions by others concerning the burial of a single individual. It seeks to develop a new methodology which starts with the unit of burial and works outwards in scale to the cemetery and region beyond, and applies this methodology to examine the treatment of age and sex and identify the similarities and variability which exists across a range of burial attributes. The analysis summarised here employs data derived from twelve cemeteries, and examines the results at different scales, treating each cemetery both in isolation and as member of a wider group.

Cet article présente une nouvelle approche de l'analyse sociale des inhumations anglo-saxonnes du cinquième au septième siècles ap. J.C. II définit une gamme d'attributs stylistiques qui encapsulent une succession de décisions et d'actions prisent par d'autres concernant l'enterrement d'une seule et même personne. Il cherche à developper une nouvelle méthodologie qui commence avec l'enterrement et travaille à l'extérieur, è l'échelle du cimetière et au-delà, et applique cette méthodologie pour étudier le traitement de l'age et du sexe, identifier les ressemblances et les changements qui existent à travers une gamme d'attributs d'enterrement. L'analyse résumée ici utilise des données provenant de douze cimetières, et étudie les résultats aux échelles différentes, traitant chaque cimetière, soit comme membre d'un large groupe, soit en tant que tel.

Dieser Aufsatz stellt einen neuen Ansatz zur Sozialanalyse angelsächsischer Körperbestattungen des 5. bis 7. Jahrhunders n. Chr. vor. Es werden zunächst eine Reihe von stilistischen Attributen definiert, die eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen und Handlungen anderer in Hinsicht auf das Begräbnis des einzelnen Individuums zusammenfassen. Es wird dann versucht, eine neue Methodologie zu entwickeln, die mit der Einheit einer Bestattung beginnt und sich dann auf den Maßstab des ganzen Friedhofs und darüberhinaus ausweitet. Diese Methodologie wird angewandt, um die unterschiedliche Behandlung von Alter und Geschlecht zu untersuchen und die Variabilität unter einer Reihe von Begräbnisattributen festzustellen. Die hier zusammengefaßte Analyse beruht auf Daten von zwölf Freidhöfen, die jeweils auf verschiedenen Maßstäben, als einzelner Friedhof und als Vertreter einer größeren Gruppen, untersucht werden.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of European Archaeology , Volume 4 , 1996 , pp. 337 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 

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