The social life of human remains : burial rites and the accumulation of capital during the transition from Neolithic to urban societies in the Near East
The accumulation of capital is a widely recognised, but little studied, feature of early urbanisation in Mesopotamia during the fourth-millennium BC. Current research links the concentration and mobilisation of capital in urban centres to the expansion of cross-regional trade routes. However, the social and cultural mechanisms through which primary accumulation took place remain poorly understood. A related aspect of urban growth is the virtual disappearance of human burials from the archaeological record. This contrasts with earlier traditions where burials were routinely incorporated into domestic contexts. Adapting Weberâs insights regarding the origins of modern capitalist accumulation in changing modes of religiosity, this research investigates the changing relationship between funerary rituals and wealth consumption. Detailed study of burial practices over the long-term (Late Neolithic through to Late Uruk) will isolate major trends in funerary consumption over time. This will situate the phenomenon of large-scale accumulation within a wider social matrix. The analogous treatment of human remains and artefacts in Late Neolithic funerary contexts highlights complex relationships between persons and
Brereton, G. D.
The social life of human remains : burial rites and the accumulation of capital during the transition from Neolithic to urban societies in the Near East. The accumulation of capital is a widely recognised, but little studied, feature of early urbanisation in Mesopotamia during the fourth-millennium BC. Current research links the concentration and mobilisation of capital in urban centres to the expansion of cross-regional trade routes. However, the social and cultural mechanisms through which primary accumulation took place remain poorly understood. A related aspect of urban growth is the virtual disappearance of human burials from the archaeological record. This contrasts with earlier traditions where burials were routinely incorporated into domestic contexts. Adapting Weberâs insights regarding the origins of modern capitalist accumulation in changing modes of religiosity, this research investigates the changing relationship between funerary rituals and wealth consumption. Detailed study of burial practices over the long-term (Late Neolithic through to Late Uruk) will isolate major trends in funerary consumption over time. This will situate the phenomenon of large-scale accumulation within a wider social matrix. The analogous treatment of human remains and artefacts in Late Neolithic funerary contexts highlights complex relationships between persons and
social life human remain burial_rite accumulation capital transition neolithic urban_society near_east accumulation capital widely_recognise little_studied feature early urbanisation mesopotamia fourth millennium current link concentration mobilisation capital urban_centre expansion cross regional trade route however social_cultural mechanism primary accumulation take_place remain_poorly understood related_aspect urban_growth virtual disappearance human_burial archaeological_record contrast earlier tradition burial routinely incorporate domestic context weber insight regard origin modern capitalist accumulation change mode religiosity investigate change relationship funerary_ritual wealth consumption detailed_study burial_practice long_term late neolithic late uruk isolate major trend funerary consumption time situate phenomenon large_scale accumulation within_wide social matrix analogous treatment human_remain artefact late_neolithic funerary_context highlight complex_relationship person