Death and Memory in Early Medieval Britain (Cambridge Studies in Archaeology) [Hardcover]

Howard Williams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521840198 | ISBN-13: 978-0521840194 | Publication Date: September 25, 2006

How were the dead remembered in early medieval Britain? Originally published in 2006, this innovative study demonstrates how perceptions of the past and the dead, and hence social identities, were constructed through mortuary practices and commemoration between c. 400-1100 AD. Drawing on archaeological evidence from across Britain, including archaeological discoveries, Howard Williams presents a fresh interpretation of the significance of portable artefacts, the body, structures, monuments and landscapes in early medieval mortuary practices. He argues that materials and spaces were used in ritual performances that served as 'technologies of remembrance', practices that created shared 'social' memories intended to link past, present and future. Through the deployment of material culture, early medieval societies were therefore selectively remembering and forgetting their ancestors and their history. Throwing light on an important aspect of medieval society, this book is essential reading for archaeologists and historians with an interest in the early medieval period.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Review of the hardback: 'It is one of the great strengths of his book that it treats the whole of mainland Britain (and the isle of Man) on an even footing and over more than half a millennium bringing out this variation as well as some common themes and perhaps beliefs ... for 50 years prehistorians have, perhaps rightly, deplored the intellectual simplicity of the infant discipline of medieval archaeology. This is one of the books that will make them rethink that.' British Archaeology

Review of the hardback: 'Howard William's book should launch a mature, careful and temperate debate ...' Journal of Medieval Archaeology

Review of the hardback: '... nuanced and insightful ... thought-provoking ...' Archaeological Review from Cambridge

Review of the hardback: 'Howard William's excellent book is thus greatly to be welcomed as the first extended survey of how the dead were remembered in early medieval Britain.' Antiquity

Book Description

An innovative application of theories of memory and material culture to an early historic society, this 2006 book uses the early medieval cemetery in Britain between 400-1100 AD as a rich and complex data set, addressing the commemorative functions of funerary ritual using archaeological remains as its evidence base.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521840198
• ISBN-13: 978-0521840194
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,930,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.