The execution and burial of criminals in early medieval England, c. 850-1150 : an examination of changes in judicial punishment across the Norman Conquest
In later Anglo-Saxon England, executed offenders and, probably also, other social deviants were separated from the rest of the community in death. They were buried in cemeteries far from settlements but in raised landscapes which would have been visible from frequented areas â so-called âexecution cemeteriesâ. However, from the second half of the eleventh century, these deviant cemeteries appear to have fallen out of use. This thesis seeks to discover where criminals where buried after the Norman Conquest and examines the influences behind the changes in funerary treatment of judicial offenders. Numerous published excavation reports and databases were analysed for evidence of funerary deviance â i.e. any trait unusual for normative Christian burial â but with particular focus on evidence for decapitation or for individuals remaining bound at the wrists at the time of interment, both of which are the most direct indicators of potential execution. While 343 individuals were buried in Anglo-Saxon execution cemeteries â sixty-two of these decapitated and seventy-three potentially bound â only three such deviants could be identified from the Anglo-Norman period. To inform on this transformation in
Mattison, Alyxandra
The execution and burial of criminals in early medieval England, c. 850-1150 : an examination of changes in judicial punishment across the Norman Conquest. In later Anglo-Saxon England, executed offenders and, probably also, other social deviants were separated from the rest of the community in death. They were buried in cemeteries far from settlements but in raised landscapes which would have been visible from frequented areas â so-called âexecution cemeteriesâ. However, from the second half of the eleventh century, these deviant cemeteries appear to have fallen out of use. This thesis seeks to discover where criminals where buried after the Norman Conquest and examines the influences behind the changes in funerary treatment of judicial offenders. Numerous published excavation reports and databases were analysed for evidence of funerary deviance â i.e. any trait unusual for normative Christian burial â but with particular focus on evidence for decapitation or for individuals remaining bound at the wrists at the time of interment, both of which are the most direct indicators of potential execution. While 343 individuals were buried in Anglo-Saxon execution cemeteries â sixty-two of these decapitated and seventy-three potentially bound â only three such deviants could be identified from the Anglo-Norman period. To inform on this transformation in
execution burial criminal early_medieval england examination change judicial punishment across norman_conquest later anglo_saxon_england execute offender probably also social deviant separate rest community death bury cemetery far settlement raise landscape would visible area so_called execution cemetery however deviant cemetery appear fall use seek_discover criminal bury norman_conquest examines influence behind change funerary_treatment judicial offender numerous publish_excavation report database analyse evidence_funerary deviance trait unusual normative christian burial particular_focus evidence individual remain bound time interment direct indicator potential execution individual bury anglo_saxon execution cemetery sixty seventy potentially bound deviant could_identify anglo_norman period inform transformation