Come rain or shine? The social implications of seasonality and weather on the cremation rite in early Anglo-Saxon England

SQUIRES, Kirsty (2017) Come rain or shine? The social implications of seasonality and weather on the cremation rite in early Anglo-Saxon England. In: Cremation and the Archaeology of Death. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 250-265. ISBN 9780198798118

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Abstract or description

Cremation was one of the primary funerary rites employed during the fifth and early sixth centuries AD. However, the difficulties faced by communities to ensure that successful cremations were achieved are often overlooked by archaeologists. Weather and seasonality would have undoubtedly played a major part in the success of an open-air cremation. This paper intends to explore how early Anglo-Saxon communities dealt with a fatality during the winter months and periods of adverse weather. The effects of a death under these circumstances would have impacted these populations on a household and a communal level. An examination of the hardships faced by cremation practicing groups on both a practical and social level can provide an insight into the relationship between individuals and communities in early Anglo-Saxon England.

Item Type:	Book Chapter, Section or Conference Proceeding
Faculty:	School of Law, Policing and Forensics > Criminal Justice and Forensic Science
Depositing User:	Kirsty SQUIRES
Date Deposited:	24 May 2017 12:48
Last Modified:	24 Feb 2023 13:46
URI:	https://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/id/eprint/3118

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