The Archaeology of Death

What can we learn about how people lived from the way they treat their dead? Death and the dead are ever present in the social landscape and as our largest source of information on our past. They have been key factors in the development of archaeology, becoming central to the theory and methodology of the discipline. Illustrated with case studies of bog bodies and cannibalism, this book examines the major debates such as Neanderthal burial and monumentalizing the dead. At the same time, they point towards a more affective archaeology that reflects a growing interest in the emotion behind the dry bones approach of traditional cemetery analysis.
"The Archaeology of Death" and "The Archaeology of Art" are part of the new "Themes in Archaeology" series from Routledge. Each text deals with a specific topic within archaeological teaching and research. Future books in the series will include "Archaeology and Fieldwork" and "Archaeology and Religion."