Spaces of the Living and the Dead: An Archaeological Dialogue

by Catherine E. Karkov, Kelley M. Wickham-Crowley (Editor), Kelly M. Wickham-Crowley (Editor)

Initially concerned exclusively with death and burial, this volume grew to encompass the role of the living and the towns they inhabit. The ten papers take an informal, relaxed tone, seeking to inspire discussion rather than provide a definitive summary. John Bradley's candid and witty "Urbanization in Early Medieval Ireland" stands out especially. He points out that history is not just about the past; it is very much about the present. (Spaces of the Living and the Dead) adeptly interweaves both, examining historical facts and our modern biases toward them.

Table of Contents

Preface Bailey K. Young
Cemetery and society at Sutton Five Awkward questions and four contradictory answers Martin O. H. Carver
Spong Hill and the adventus Saxonum Catherine Hills
Text and Some problems in the theory and practice of late antique monumental archaeology Jean-Francois Reynaud
Architecture and funerary space in the early Middle Ages Christian Sapin
The myth of the pagan cemetery Bailey K. Young
Tours from an archaeological standpoint Henri Galinie
Royal power, state formation and early urbanization in Norway ca. A.D 700-1200: A synthesis Axel Christophersen
Market places and towns in Denmark 700-1100: A royal initiative Henrik M. Jansen
Urbanization in early Medieval Ireland John Bradley
A dialogic Speaking with the past Kelley M. Wickham-Crowely and Catherine E. Karkov

162 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Catherine Karkov is professor of History of Art and head of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. Her research centres on early medieval art, especially Anglo-Saxon art, and she has published two monographs, one on Anglo-Saxon art, and one on the relation between text and image in Anglo-Saxon literature. In the latter, whose focus is on MS Junius 11, she argues that a complete edition of the manuscript leaves out the many illustrations at its own peril; these illustrations occur at dramatic moments in the four poems and help elucidate the allegorical import of many passages.