The Archaeology of Death

Death and the dead are ever present in the social landscape and are one of our largest source of information. For many periods they have been key factors in the development of archaeology becoming, central to the theory and methodology of the discipline. What can be inferred however about how people live from the way they treat their dead? Illustrated with case studies of bog bodies and cannibalism, this book examines the major debates such as Neanderthal burial and monumentalizing the dead, and other less frequently discussed issues such as concepts of good and bad death and how these beliefs shape the treatment of the dead. In exploring this major theme the book moves towards a more affective archaeology, reflecting a growing interest in the emotion behind the dry bones approach of traditional cemetery analysis.