About Me

I'm a PhD student researching the role of the archaeological dead in contemporary British society. Think of this as a scrapbook of all the interesting links, snippets of information and random bits and bobs I come across pertaining to death, dying and the dead. Enjoy?!

Instagram Shots

    See more

    More liked posts

    What Remains by Robin Fleming Improper burials tell a story of social change in medieval Britain The outlines of a medieval village near Braunston, Northamptonshire. Photograph: Adrian Warren / Last Refuge Ltd.  While investigating Stonehenge in the late 1920s, archaeologists came across a body buried at the center of the complex. They assumed that it dated, like the megaliths themselves, to the Neolithic period, but radiocarbon dating showed that it most probably dated to the eighth century. The remains were of a short adult male about 30 years of age. He had something called Schmorl’s nodes on his vertebrae, a lesion common in people who performed hard, physical labor as children. The muscle insertions for his upper limbs suggest that he was powerfully built and provide further evidence that this was a man who had done back-breaking work. He had periostitis, too, marked by plaque on the outer surface of his bones, so he suffered from some kind of chronic, low-grade infection. In sum, we have a small, muscled, not very healthy man, who worked hard most of his life. He died, however, neither from disease nor from exhaustion, but because he had been decapitated with a single sword blow from behind. He was probably kneeling when it happened: It looks like an execution. This man’s burial was clearly an anomaly, not least because it was carried out at the center of perhaps the most uncanny site in Britain. It deviated from standard burial customs in other ways. The vast majority of people in eighth-century Britain were buried with their kith and kin, in well-dug graves, and they were placed in the ground with care. Our man lay alone in this eerie landscape, having been dumped into an indecently shallow, horrifyingly short hole in the ground. His ribs may have been broken post mortem, when his corpse was stuffed into its inadequate grave. The burial, moreover, took place in a kind of no man’s land. Stonehenge, by the 11th century, lay on the border of two administrative districts known as hundreds, and many scholars have argued that it marked an important territorial boundary even earlier. It would have been a site known to everyone in the region but inhabited by no one. Read more here.

    What Remains by Robin Fleming

    Improper burials tell a story of social change in medieval Britain

    The outlines of a medieval village near Braunston, Northamptonshire. Photograph: Adrian Warren / Last Refuge Ltd. 

    While investigating Stonehenge in the late 1920s, archaeologists came across a body buried at the center of the complex. They assumed that it dated, like the megaliths themselves, to the Neolithic period, but radiocarbon dating showed that it most probably dated to the eighth century. The remains were of a short adult male about 30 years of age. He had something called Schmorl’s nodes on his vertebrae, a lesion common in people who performed hard, physical labor as children. The muscle insertions for his upper limbs suggest that he was powerfully built and provide further evidence that this was a man who had done back-breaking work. He had periostitis, too, marked by plaque on the outer surface of his bones, so he suffered from some kind of chronic, low-grade infection. In sum, we have a small, muscled, not very healthy man, who worked hard most of his life. He died, however, neither from disease nor from exhaustion, but because he had been decapitated with a single sword blow from behind. He was probably kneeling when it happened: It looks like an execution.

    This man’s burial was clearly an anomaly, not least because it was carried out at the center of perhaps the most uncanny site in Britain. It deviated from standard burial customs in other ways. The vast majority of people in eighth-century Britain were buried with their kith and kin, in well-dug graves, and they were placed in the ground with care. Our man lay alone in this eerie landscape, having been dumped into an indecently shallow, horrifyingly short hole in the ground. His ribs may have been broken post mortem, when his corpse was stuffed into its inadequate grave. The burial, moreover, took place in a kind of no man’s land. Stonehenge, by the 11th century, lay on the border of two administrative districts known as hundreds, and many scholars have argued that it marked an important territorial boundary even earlier. It would have been a site known to everyone in the region but inhabited by no one.

    Read more here.

    Rare skeleton of ‘vampire’ discovered in Britain with spikes through shoulders, heart and ankles Long dismissed as myth and legend, the vampire is associated with spooky stories or - for many teenagers - a Twilight heartthrob. But for those who lived in the Middle Ages, it was a deadly serious business - and they took extreme measures against anyone suspected of being able to haunt them in the afterlife. Now, details of one of the few ‘vampire’ burials in Britain have emerged. A new archaeology report tells of the discovery of a skeleton, dating from 550-700AD, buried in the ancient minster town of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, with metal spikes through its shoulders, heart and ankles. It is believed to be a ‘deviant burial’, where people considered the ‘dangerous dead’, such as vampires, were interred to prevent them rising from their graves to plague the living. Only a handful of such burials have been unearthed in the UK. The discovery is detailed in a new report by Matthew Beresford, of Southwell Archaeology. The skeleton was found by archaeologist Charles Daniels during the original investigation of the site in Church Street in the town 1959, which revealed Roman remains. Mr Beresford said when Mr Daniels found the skeleton he jokingly checked for fangs. ‘In the 1950s the Hammer Horror films were popular and so people had seen Christopher Lee’s Dracula so it would have been quite relevant,’ said Mr Beresford. In his report, Mr Beresford says: ‘The classic portrayal of the dangerous dead (more commonly known today as a vampire) is an undead corpse arising from the grave and all the accounts from this period reflect this. ‘Throughout the Anglo-Saxon period the punishment of being buried in water-logged ground, face down, decapitated, staked or otherwise was reserved for thieves, murderers or traitors or later for those deviants who did not conform to societies rules: adulterers, disrupters of the peace, the unpious or oath breaker. ‘Which of these the Southwell deviant was we will never know.’ Mr Beresford believes the remains may still be buried on the site where they originally lay because Mr Daniels was unable to remove the body from the ground. He said: ‘If you look at it in a spooky way you still have the potential for it to rise at some point.’ Mr Beresford added: ‘Obviously this skeleton comes from a time in Southwell’s history that we don’t know much about.’ John Lock, chairman of Southwell Archaeology, said the body was one of a handful of such burials to be found in the UK. He said: ‘A lot of people are interested in it but quite where it takes us I don’t know because this was found in the 1950s and now we don’t know where the remains are. Mr Lock said no one could be sure why the body was staked in the way it was. He said: ‘People would have a very strong view that this was somebody who, for whatever reason, they had a reason to fear and needed to ensure that this person did not come back.’ The discovery comes five months after archaeologists found remains from a third grave in central Bulgaria linked to the practise. The skeleton was tied to the ground with four iron clamps, while burning ambers were placed on top of his grave. The bones of a man in his thirties were believed to be at least several centuries old, and experts believed he had been subjected to a superstition-driven ritual to prevent him from becoming one after his death. Exciting news! NOTE: The photograph above depicts one of the deviant ‘vampire’ burials recently excavated in Bulgaria. You can read Matthew’s report here!

    Rare skeleton of ‘vampire’ discovered in Britain with spikes through shoulders, heart and ankles

    Long dismissed as myth and legend, the vampire is associated with spooky stories or - for many teenagers - a Twilight heartthrob.

    But for those who lived in the Middle Ages, it was a deadly serious business - and they took extreme measures against anyone suspected of being able to haunt them in the afterlife.

    Now, details of one of the few ‘vampire’ burials in Britain have emerged.

    A new archaeology report tells of the discovery of a skeleton, dating from 550-700AD, buried in the ancient minster town of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, with metal spikes through its shoulders, heart and ankles.

    It is believed to be a ‘deviant burial’, where people considered the ‘dangerous dead’, such as vampires, were interred to prevent them rising from their graves to plague the living.

    Only a handful of such burials have been unearthed in the UK.

    The discovery is detailed in a new report by Matthew Beresford, of Southwell Archaeology.

    The skeleton was found by archaeologist Charles Daniels during the original investigation of the site in Church Street in the town 1959, which revealed Roman remains.

    Mr Beresford said when Mr Daniels found the skeleton he jokingly checked for fangs.

    ‘In the 1950s the Hammer Horror films were popular and so people had seen Christopher Lee’s Dracula so it would have been quite relevant,’ said Mr Beresford.

    In his report, Mr Beresford says: ‘The classic portrayal of the dangerous dead (more commonly known today as a vampire) is an undead corpse arising from the grave and all the accounts from this period reflect this.

    ‘Throughout the Anglo-Saxon period the punishment of being buried in water-logged ground, face down, decapitated, staked or otherwise was reserved for thieves, murderers or traitors or later for those deviants who did not conform to societies rules: adulterers, disrupters of the peace, the unpious or oath breaker.

    ‘Which of these the Southwell deviant was we will never know.’

    Mr Beresford believes the remains may still be buried on the site where they originally lay because Mr Daniels was unable to remove the body from the ground.

    He said: ‘If you look at it in a spooky way you still have the potential for it to rise at some point.’

    Mr Beresford added: ‘Obviously this skeleton comes from a time in Southwell’s history that we don’t know much about.’

    John Lock, chairman of Southwell Archaeology, said the body was one of a handful of such burials to be found in the UK.

    He said: ‘A lot of people are interested in it but quite where it takes us I don’t know because this was found in the 1950s and now we don’t know where the remains are.

    Mr Lock said no one could be sure why the body was staked in the way it was.

    He said: ‘People would have a very strong view that this was somebody who, for whatever reason, they had a reason to fear and needed to ensure that this person did not come back.’

    The discovery comes five months after archaeologists found remains from a third grave in central Bulgaria linked to the practise.

    The skeleton was tied to the ground with four iron clamps, while burning ambers were placed on top of his grave.

    The bones of a man in his thirties were believed to be at least several centuries old, and experts believed he had been subjected to a superstition-driven ritual to prevent him from becoming one after his death.

    Exciting news! NOTE: The photograph above depicts one of the deviant ‘vampire’ burials recently excavated in Bulgaria. You can read Matthew’s report here!

    Buried face down: Prone Burials

    theossuary:

    From Current Archaeology:  

    Archaeologists have excavated over 600 bodies from around the world, mysteriously buried face-down. Britain is the biggest hotspot – with more than 200 prone burials. What do they signify? Caroline Arcini of Sweden’s National Heritage Board has been investigating.

    Note: I suspect that Morbid Curiosity may have posted this before, but I couldn’t confirm it because Tumblr’s search feature FUCKING SUCKS. Sorry, it had to be said. Seriously: I can’t even search my OWN posts by text, or even by tag.

    The search feature on Tumblr is, indeed, PANTS. I thought I had posted this, but I can’t find it, so perhaps not! Who knows?! Anyhoo, re-posting because deviant burial (any kind of burial that deviates from the ‘norm’, e.g. an unusually secure grave, decapitation and/or dismemberment of the corpse, binding, unusual grave location, etc.) is fascinating - and if you’re not following theossuary, then do it now!

    (Source: theossuary)