A time honoured tradition? The effect of social and political change on funerary rites in early Anglo-Saxon England

The factors contributing to the shift from cremation to inhumation in early Anglo-Saxon England have been explored extensively in the past. It is widely acknowledged that changes to funerary practices were closely linked to the transition to a more stratified society. However, an exploration of burials from both cremation and inhumation dominant cemeteries possess many similarities in terms of grave provisions and the interment of individuals in communal cemeteries. This paper will explore how social and political changes affected the daily lives and mortuary practices of communities inhabiting early Anglo-Saxon England, with an emphasis on the persistence of funerary traditions throughout this period.