The Public Archaeology of Death

1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78179-593-4
Verlag: Equinox Publishing Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 212 Seiten, Format (B × H): 208 mm x 260 mm, Gewicht: 907 g

From the tomb of Tutankhamun to the grave of Richard III, archaeologists have studied, displayed and debated rich and varied evidence of the burial and commemoration of the dead from past times to the present day. Mortuary data is not only a key window into the human past, it defines and resonates through 20th and 21st-century popular culture. Yet, in many regards, archaeologists' engagements with death and the dead are contentious and problematic, emotional and political. For instance, in what circumstances if at all is it ethical to dig up and display human remains? What do people learn from meeting ancient people in museums and heritage sites? How significant is mortuary archaeology in our own present-day imaginings of prehistoric and historical societies, as well as fantastical and fictional societies portrayed in literature and film? Tackling questions such as these, osteoarchaeologists and mortuary archaeologists have often found themselves at the forefront of the public engagements for interdisciplinary and archaeological research. This book identifies a series of lacunae in recent discussions of mortuary archaeology's interactions with contemporary society. It aims to re-evaluate the range and character of public mortuary archaeology critically through a range of case studies from the UK, Europe and farther afield. In particular, this book seeks to address a network of relationships between mortality, material culture and archaeological theory, method and practice through a series of themes that connect the digging, display and dissemination of mortuary contexts and remains with wider popular culture themes and media.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Williams, Howard

Wills-Eve, Benedict

Jennifer, Osborne

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Archäologie: Theorie und Methoden

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword Jodie Lewis (University of Worcester) Dead Relevant: Introducing the Public Archaeology of Death Howard Williams 1. The St Patrick's Chapel Excavation Project: Public Engagement with the Rescue Excavation of an Early Medieval Cemetery in South West Wales Marion Shiner (University of Sheffield), Katie A. Hemer (University of Sheffield) and Rhiannon Comeau (University College London) 2. Death's Diversity: the Case of Llangollen Museum Suzanne Evans ( Llangollen Museum and Llandrillo College) and Howard Williams 3. Displaying the Deviant: Sutton Hoo's Sand People Madeline Walsh (University of York, MA student) and Howard Williams 4. Grave Expectations: Burial Posture in Popular and Museum Representations Sian Mui (Durham University) 5. Photographing the Dead: Images in Public Mortuary Archaeology Chiara Bolchini (University of Groningen, MA student) 6. Death on Canvas: Artistic Reconstructions in Viking Age Mortuary Archaeology Leszek Gardela (University of Rzeszow, Poland, and Snorrastofa Medieval and Cultural Centre, Reykholt, Iceland) 7. Envisioning Cremation: Art and Archaeology Aaron Watson (Durham University) and Howard Williams 8. Controversy Surrounding Human Remains from the First World War Sam Munsch (University of Exeter, MSc student) 9. Here lies `ZOMBIESLAYER2000', May He Rest in Pieces: Mortuary Archaeology in MMOs, MMORPGs, and MOBAs Rachael Nicholson (Independent scholar) 10. Death's Drama: Mortuary Practice in Vikings Season 1-4 Howard Williams Afterword Karina Croucher (University of Bradford)

Über Autor(innen)

Howard Williams is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester. Benedict Wills-Eve is a PhD candidate in archaeology at the University of Chester. Jennifer Osborne is a Masters degree candidate in Zooarchaeology at the University of York.