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Re: Time Team R.I.P. ?

Jan 11, 2010, 21:46

There's an interesting feature in the latest edition of British Archaeology (pp33) by Sebastian Payne entitled Cremated - but not Silenced. Payne writes that, "At Anglo-Saxon Mucking (Essex), crystal size indicated cremation at temperatures above 650C; blobs of melted glass on bones suggest they sometimes exceeded 940C. Some 300-400kg of wood is needed to cremate a human body..."

That estimate of 300-400kg of wood seems a bit on the low side to me. Your average log to fit into your average fireplace today weighs about 5kg so Payne is saying that only about 80 such logs would be needed for human cremation. I may have got the stats wrong here but I reckon you'd need at least twice that many good, hot burning logs to do the job.

The point is that cremation would require considerable time and (fuel) resources and as such perhaps was only reserved for wealthier members of society while poorer members were 'disposed of' more economically. There's also the theatrical side - perhaps a good 'bonfire' accompanied by suitable ceremonies and/or feasting would enhance the status of the departed one and his or her family.

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Re: Time Team R.I.P. ? (tiompan)

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Re: Time Team R.I.P. ? (Branwen)

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