
Death and Changing Rituals
Function and meaning in ancient funerary practices
Oxbow Books (Publisher)
Published on 15. February 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-78925-381-8 (ISBN)
Description
The forms by which a deceased person may be brought to rest are as many as there are causes of death. In most societies the disposal of the corpse is accompanied by some form of celebration or ritual which may range from a simple act of deportment in solitude to the engagement of large masses of people in laborious and creative festivities. In a funerary context the term ritual may be taken to represent a process that incorporates all the actions performed and thoughts expressed in connection with a dying and dead person, from the preparatory pre-death stages to the final deposition of the corpse and the post-mortem stages of grief and commemoration. The contributions presented here are focused not on the examination of different funerary practices, their function and meaning, but on the changes of such rituals - how and when they occurred and how they may be explained. Based on case studies from a range of geographical regions and from different prehistoric and historical periods, a range of key themes are examined concerning belief and ritual, body and deposition, place, performance and commemoration, exploring a complex web of practices.
Reviews / Votes
The volume's success in bringing together the different contributions under a similar set of questions and approaches forms an admirable example of how to combine local studies to gain much wider relevance. I therefore would recommend the book to any academic or student interested in the study of death in the past. * American Journal Of Archaeology * All of the papers in this volume provide fascinating examples of the reasons for change in funerary practices over time, making it fascinating reading for anyone interested in the archaeology of death and burial. * Fortean Times *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
b/w and colour illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 171 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
1142 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78925-381-8 (9781789253818)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Brandt J. Rasmus Brandt | Roland Hakon Roland | Prusac Marina Prusac
Death and Changing Rituals
Function and meaning in ancient funerary practices
E-Book
07/2014
Oxbow Books
€29.49
Available for download

Brandt J. Rasmus Brandt | Roland Hakon Roland | Prusac Marina Prusac
Death and Changing Rituals
Function and meaning in ancient funerary practices
E-Book
07/2014
OXBOW BOOKS
€29.49
Available for download
Persons
J. Rasmus Brandt is Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, Conservation, and History, University of Oslo.