The Present Dead: Investigating Interactions with the Dead in Early Medieval Central and Eastern Europe from 5th to 8th Centuries CE

Introduction

The project aims to investigate the practical, mental, and emotional dimensions of human interactions with the materials of the dead (graves, human remains, and artefacts) in early medieval central and eastern Europe (5th to 8th centuries CE). Based on archaeological and textual evidence, diverse contexts of contact will be investigated through an innovative approach combining cutting-edge scientific methods, technical solutions, and new theoretical approaches. The project’s working hypothesis is that perspectives on interaction with the materials of the dead will vary with the ritual stages of funerals.

Cemetery Practices

Early medieval cemeteries comprise up to hundreds of graves where corpses were generally inhumed in individual graves, frequently together with lavish objects. Many graves were interfered with soon after burial. While disturbed graves have elsewhere been seen as an inferior source of evidence, this project argues that these interventions are important sources for early medieval practices relating to the dead.

Research Objectives

Investigating cemeteries and out-of-cemetery contexts in four central- and eastern European regions, the project pursues the following objectives:

1. Investigating the range of practices and contexts in the archaeological records.
2. Analyzing textual perspectives in diverse genres.
3. Synthesizing material and textual perspectives via an innovative technical solution for semantic integration of data.

Methodological Goals

The methodological objectives for achieving the archaeological goals are:

1. Consolidation of methods and development of research protocols.
2. Development of strategies to mitigate deficiencies of archaeological data.

The development of digital tools, moving from high- to low-resolution evidence, will be novel and key to the approach.

Contribution to Knowledge

The project will significantly contribute to our understanding of the relationship between the living and the dead in early medieval Europe.