Abstract
Prone burials are among the most distinctive deviant burials during the Middle Ages and early modern period. Despite their worldwide distribution, the meaning of this burial practice is still a matter of debate. So far, a comprehensive analysis of prone burials is lacking for Central Europe. By compiling evidence from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, this study investigates how these findings fit into the scope of medieval funerary practices. 95 prone burials from 60 archaeological sites were analyzed regarding geographical distribution, dating, burial features, body position, age-at-death and sex. We applied descriptive statistics accompanied by multiple correspondence analysis in order to highlight possible multivariate patterns in the dataset. Prone burials occur in funerary and non-funerary contexts, with a predominance of single churchyard burials, followed by favored and exterior location and settlements. In terms of grave features, the majority of churchyard burials do not differ from regular graves. Multivariate patterns appear to reflect diachronic changes in normative burial practices. We found a significant correlation between burial location and dating, due to a higher frequency of high medieval males in favored locations. In these cases, prone position is interpreted as a sign of humility, while similar evidences from late and post-medieval times are seen as an expression of deviancy. Apparent lack of care during burial reveals disrespect and possible social exclusion, with inhumations outside consecrated ground being the ultimate punishment. In some regions, apotropaic practices suggest that corpses should be prevented from returning, as attested in contemporaneous sources and folk beliefs. We hypothesize that the increase of prone burials towards the late and post-medieval period is linked to such practices triggered by epidemic diseases. The multiplicity of meanings that prone position might have in different contexts demands for careful interpretations within the same regional and chronological frame.
Highlights
Atypical burials are characterized by a range of features, such as burial location, position and/ or grave goods, deviating from what is usually observed for a specific geographical and chronological context [1]
We aim to investigate how and if prone burials fit into the scope of medieval and post-medieval funerary practices
As we have shown above, favored burial location and funerary equipment have led to rather positive interpretations of high medieval prone burials, while late and post-medieval specimens are rather interpreted as deviant
Summary
Atypical burials are characterized by a range of features, such as burial location, position and/ or grave goods, deviating from what is usually observed for a specific geographical and chronological context [1]. If interpreted as deviation from a norm, depends upon a society’s social norms and may vary between different times, regions and even sites. The use of this term is problematic since it is based on the dichotomy between ’normal’ (or regular/typical) and ’abnormal’ (or irregular/atypical), even though archaeological cultures usually have a broad range of funerary practices [2, 3]. The term has a negative connotation that archaeologists instinctively transfer from the burial to the individual during life Such deviancy might have originated from otherness like disability, profession, provenance, or religion perceived as ’odd’ by fellows; those social outcasts potentially required special funerary provisions [4]. As demonstrated by Shay [6], differential treatment in burial is not necessarily only due to negative perceptions surrounding the deceased but may express some kind of ‘positive deviancy’
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