Death and the formation of early Christian Scotland

Maldonado, A. (2016) Death and the formation of early Christian Scotland. In: Ó Carragáin, T. and Turner, S. (eds.) Making Christian Landscapes in Atlantic Europe. Cork University Press: Cork, pp. 225-245. ISBN 9781782052005

Abstract

This paper will summarise the evidence for the development of ‘Christian’ burial places in Scotland from AD 400-1100. A body of radiocarbon dates now allows us to track developments in burial practice in unprecedented chronological detail. Scotland’s burial evidence comes mainly from field cemeteries not associated with churches, but these can now be compared with burials from recently-published excavations on early monastic sites. The material culture of death, burial and Christian worship were integrated and interacted with existing physical and mental landscapes. 'Christian' burial places did not begin as founder's graves or shrines over saint's tombs, and it is argued here that the familiar concept of a 'Christian cemetery' did not arrive fully formed with monasticism, but was formed by adapting existing burial rites to a new social setting. Only by tracing the processes of creating, maintaining and often forgetting burial places across the early medieval period can we shed new light on conversion and the eventual consolidation of Christendom in the post-Roman west.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Maldonado, Dr Adrian
• Authors: Maldonado, A.
• Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology
• Publisher: Cork University Press
• ISBN: 9781782052005

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