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Module Description

How we dispose of and commemorate our dead is fundamental to human culture. Human remains are some of the most significant archaeological finds and archaeologists have to know something about the diversity of attitudes and practices relating to the dead. This half-module begins with the study of methods and techniques of analysis, followed by a survey of contemporary societies' funerary practices and the variety of human responses to death. It then focuses on the interpretive theories and models that have been used to reconstruct the social significance of funerary treatment in past societies. Case studies will focus on the interpretation of rank and status, ritual and symbolism, territory and legitimation, and the ethical and legal aspects of exhumation and reburial. These studies will range across a wide variety of periods and places, from the Lower Palaeolithic to the present day.

Module Aims

This half-module’s aims are:

• to evaluate different types of archaeological and historical evidence

• to integrate this variety of evidence in a theoretically informed manner

• to develop developed a critical awareness of the ritual, political, social and economic factors influencing funerary practices

• to investigate a range of themes and patterns of human behaviour in funerary archaeology

• to explore the relationship between material culture and funerary practices

• to apply this knowledge to a range of archaeological periods, appreciating the need for a broad geographical and chronological approach

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate/have developed:

• a good knowledge of the principles and practice of funerary archaeology

• engagement with different forms of evidence and methodologies, and understanding of how to use them critically in class discussions and writing assessments

• a nuanced understanding of the themes and controversies surrounding the study of funerary archaeology

• knowledge of methods and theories of archaeological, anthropological and historical analysis in funerary studies, and the ability to apply them to archaeological data.

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