United in death : the pre-burial origins of Anglo-Saxon cremation urns
This thesis represents a major re-evaluation of pottery from early Anglo-Saxon (c. AD 425-625) England, examining the pre-burial origins of cremation urns through a variety of methods. It takes a use-alteration approach to the study of urns from two cemeteries, Elsham and Cleatham (North Lincolnshire), and the pottery recovered from 80 non-funerary find-sites that surround them, in order to determine a pre-burial biography for each individual urn. This reveals that the majority of urns were involved in production and consumption activities prior to their use as containers for the dead, whilst ethnographic comparisons indicate that the brewing of beer may have been their primary use in the domestic sphere. It is argued that this pre-burial use was an extremely significant concern in the selection of appropriate vessels for burial. The forms of cremation urns are then considered in light of their functional properties, and each form is placed in the context of pre-burial use. Meanwhile, analysis of the decoration of both the funerary and non-funerary pottery demonstrates that urn decoration was directly linked to pre-burial function, and that individuals may have been buried in plots relating to community, kin
Perry, Gareth John
United in death : the pre-burial origins of Anglo-Saxon cremation urns. This thesis represents a major re-evaluation of pottery from early Anglo-Saxon (c. AD 425-625) England, examining the pre-burial origins of cremation urns through a variety of methods. It takes a use-alteration approach to the study of urns from two cemeteries, Elsham and Cleatham (North Lincolnshire), and the pottery recovered from 80 non-funerary find-sites that surround them, in order to determine a pre-burial biography for each individual urn. This reveals that the majority of urns were involved in production and consumption activities prior to their use as containers for the dead, whilst ethnographic comparisons indicate that the brewing of beer may have been their primary use in the domestic sphere. It is argued that this pre-burial use was an extremely significant concern in the selection of appropriate vessels for burial. The forms of cremation urns are then considered in light of their functional properties, and each form is placed in the context of pre-burial use. Meanwhile, analysis of the decoration of both the funerary and non-funerary pottery demonstrates that urn decoration was directly linked to pre-burial function, and that individuals may have been buried in plots relating to community, kin
united death pre burial origin anglo_saxon cremation urn represent major re_evaluation pottery early_anglo saxon_england examine pre burial origin cremation urn variety_method take use alteration study cemetery north lincolnshire pottery recover non funerary find sites surround order_determine pre burial biography individual urn reveals majority involve production_consumption activity prior use container dead whilst ethnographic comparison indicate beer may primary use domestic_sphere argue pre burial use extremely significant concern selection appropriate vessel burial form cremation urn consider_light functional_property form place_context pre burial use meanwhile analysis decoration funerary non funerary pottery demonstrate urn decoration directly link pre burial function individual may bury plot relate community kin