Reopening graves in the early Middle Ages: from local practice to European phenomenon

• Published in: Antiquity Vol. 95; no. 382; pp. 1005 - 1026
• Main Authors: Klevnäs, Alison, Aspöck, Edeltraud, Noterman, Astrid A., van Haperen, Martine C., Zintl, Stephanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-08-2021
• Subjects: 6th century; 8th century; Archaeology; archaeothanatology; Burial; Burials; Cemeteries; early medieval; Early Middle Ages; Europe; Excavation; Funerals; funerary; Grave goods; Graves; Human remains; Investigations; Medieval period; Middle Ages; mortuary practice; Regional studies; United Kingdom; Austria; Romania; France; Germany; Netherlands; United Kingdom > UK; England; Switzerland; funerary archaeology; mortuary practice; early medieval; Europe; archaeothanatology
• ISSN: 0003-598X; 1745-1744; 1745-1744
• DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2020.217

Across Europe early medieval archaeologists have long recognised significant numbers of graves displaying evidence for the intentional post-burial disturbance of skeletons and artefacts. The practice of reopening and manipulating graves soon after burial, traditionally described—and dismissed—as ‘robbing’, is documented at cemeteries from Transylvania to southern England. This article presents a synthesis of five recent regional studies to investigate the evidence of and the motivations for the reopening of early medieval graves. From the later sixth century AD, the reopening of individual graves and removal of selected artefact types rapidly became part of the shared treatment of the dead across this wide area.