Assembling the dead : early Neolithic non-megalithic mortuary structures in Britain, Denmark and northern Germany
Long barrow monuments, which emerge during the Earlier Neolithic, mark a new conception of land, society and cosmology - ideological changes that accompanied the major economic changes heralded by the transformation of hunter-gatherer society to farmers. This research project primarily focuses on the mortuary features found underneath earthen barrows, and synthesises and reassesses the evidence from Britain and the northern Funnel Beaker Complex (TRB) in Denmark and northern Germany. Data has been systematically gathered from 159 British, 56 Danish and 47 German sites. Although some structures, such as split-post-arrangements show striking similarities throughout the distribution areas, the differences in the treatment of the dead are more prominent than the architectural commonalities. While collective and successive burials within one mortuary feature are seen as the norm in the British Isles, TRB sites are focused on single inhumation with separate successive mortuary structures. This thesis argues that TRB mortuary constructions reflected indigenous burial traditions, whereas the British Isles have seen more influences from continental Europe. It argues that, while there was a pan-regional set of cosmological
Ahlers, Mareike
Assembling the dead : early Neolithic non-megalithic mortuary structures in Britain, Denmark and northern Germany. Long barrow monuments, which emerge during the Earlier Neolithic, mark a new conception of land, society and cosmology - ideological changes that accompanied the major economic changes heralded by the transformation of hunter-gatherer society to farmers. This research project primarily focuses on the mortuary features found underneath earthen barrows, and synthesises and reassesses the evidence from Britain and the northern Funnel Beaker Complex (TRB) in Denmark and northern Germany. Data has been systematically gathered from 159 British, 56 Danish and 47 German sites. Although some structures, such as split-post-arrangements show striking similarities throughout the distribution areas, the differences in the treatment of the dead are more prominent than the architectural commonalities. While collective and successive burials within one mortuary feature are seen as the norm in the British Isles, TRB sites are focused on single inhumation with separate successive mortuary structures. This thesis argues that TRB mortuary constructions reflected indigenous burial traditions, whereas the British Isles have seen more influences from continental Europe. It argues that, while there was a pan-regional set of cosmological
dead early_neolithic non megalithic mortuary structure britain denmark northern germany long_barrow monument emerge earlier_neolithic mark new conception land_society cosmology ideological change accompany major economic_change herald transformation hunter_gatherer society farmer project primarily_focus mortuary feature_find earthen barrow synthesis reassess evidence britain northern beaker complex denmark northern germany data systematically gather british danish german site although structure split post show striking similarity throughout distribution area difference treatment_dead prominent architectural commonality collective successive burial within mortuary feature see norm british_isles sites focus_single inhumation separate successive mortuary structure argues mortuary construction reflect indigenous burial_tradition whereas british_isles see influence continental_europe argues pan regional set cosmological