Dead body language : deciphering corpse positions in early Anglo-Saxon England
This work provides a study of corpse positioning as an aspect of mortuary practice. The positional representation of the dead body is fundamental to the perception of death and the deceased, but this aspect of burial treatment has been overlooked and under-theorised in archaeological and anthropological scholarship. With an aim to explore the significance of the positioning of the corpse and its place within wider debates surrounding dying and death, this research examines burial positioning in inhumation graves in early Anglo-Saxon England, c AD 400â750. Bringing together 3,053 graves from 32 cemeteries, this thesis combines statistical methods, artistic reconstructions, typological analysis, grave artefacts, osteological data, literary sources, and representational art to produce a new and challenging examination of funerary remains. This work has identified a positional norm of supine deposition, extended legs, and arms positioned according to one of seven âmain typesâ. Patterns and variations in burial positions were manifested as an interplay between conformity to this positional norm and variations beyond it: from the individual level to regional practices, and in relation to long-term changes
Mui, Sian
Dead body language : deciphering corpse positions in early Anglo-Saxon England. This work provides a study of corpse positioning as an aspect of mortuary practice. The positional representation of the dead body is fundamental to the perception of death and the deceased, but this aspect of burial treatment has been overlooked and under-theorised in archaeological and anthropological scholarship. With an aim to explore the significance of the positioning of the corpse and its place within wider debates surrounding dying and death, this research examines burial positioning in inhumation graves in early Anglo-Saxon England, c AD 400â750. Bringing together 3,053 graves from 32 cemeteries, this thesis combines statistical methods, artistic reconstructions, typological analysis, grave artefacts, osteological data, literary sources, and representational art to produce a new and challenging examination of funerary remains. This work has identified a positional norm of supine deposition, extended legs, and arms positioned according to one of seven âmain typesâ. Patterns and variations in burial positions were manifested as an interplay between conformity to this positional norm and variations beyond it: from the individual level to regional practices, and in relation to long-term changes
dead body language corpse position early_anglo saxon_england work provide study corpse position aspect mortuary_practice positional representation dead body fundamental perception death decease aspect burial treatment overlook under theorised archaeological_anthropological scholarship aim_explore significance position corpse place_within wider_debate surround die death examine burial position inhumation graf early_anglo saxon_england bringing together graf cemetery combine statistical_method artistic reconstruction typological_analysis grave artefact osteological data literary_source representational art produce_new challenge examination funerary remains work identify positional norm deposition extend arm position accord main_type patterns variation burial position manifest interplay conformity positional norm variation beyond individual level regional practice relation long_term change