Burial and Status in the Early Medieval West
Edward James
EARLY medieval archaeology can be said to have its origins with the investigation of burial: Otto III's opening Charlemagne's tomb in 1000; and early modern reports discoveries graves kings or warriors; and, most notably, discovery at Tournai 1653 grave an Frankish king, Childeric. And, until very recently, study burials dominated subject. This is only natural. Graves are easily recognisable when discovered accidentally; often they were intended be, remained, a visible part landscape. Surviving royal are, course, rare. But there over one hundred thousand excavated lesser personages from period between c . 450 1000: astonishing mass data which forms significant proportion total available evidence for Middle Ages needs assessed taken into count by any medievalist interested totality period. And it argued that cemeteries offer rather more opportunity than written sources understand world those below status bishops, do so without ecclesiastical bias have. We nevertheless remember not unconscious waste products society, like studied archaeologist: rubbish pits, building remains on. Bodies deliberately carefully placed ground, along whatever accompanied them. Those responsible burial made whole series choices about manner carried out this action. A burial, text, product conscious mental activity, subject many problems interpretation analysis historians familiar.
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