Abstract
Two ongoing projects at the University of Oulu, Finland, are studying burials situated below the floorboards of Finnish churches. The projects examine mortality and materiality in Finland using an exceptionally well-preserved assemblage of mummified human remains. Multidisciplinary research methods, including CT scanning, μCT scanning, sampling for DNA and isotope analysis, and insect and plant samples, are providing multifaceted information concerning past societies. The samples provide rich insight into the material dimensions of mortality in northern Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since the studied material is located under the floors of church buildings that are still in use by congregations, obtaining permits for research and sampling has required managing relationships with separate parishes. This article outlines the projects and examines the ethical and legal dimensions of research on human remains conducted in partnership with individual parishes.
Highlights
Studying Under-Floor Church Burials in Finland––Challenges in Stewarding the Past for the FutureSanna Lipkin & Titta Kallio-SeppäAccepted: 10 July 2020 / Published online: 19 October 2020 # The Author(s) 2020 AbstractTwo ongoing projects at the University of Oulu, Finland, are studying burials situated below the floorboards of Finnish churches
Burying the deceased under church floors was a common practice in Finnish churches from the medieval period until the latter half of the 18th century, when the tradition gradually ended in individual parishes
Researchers at the University of Oulu (Finland) created an extensive interdisciplinary research project related to the under-floor church burials. This has evolved into two individual projects: the Church, Space and Memory Project and the New Perspectives on Childhood in Finland (1600–1900): Funerary Attire as an Indicator of Status of Children Project. The articles of this thematic collection were originally presented in the session: “Mummified Human Remains from Early Modern Period to Present” at the 2017 Society for Historical Archaeology conference in Fort Worth, Texas, where scholars from both projects presented their latest research results
Summary
Burying the deceased under church floors was a common practice in Finnish churches from the medieval period until the latter half of the 18th century, when the tradition gradually ended in individual parishes. Researchers at the University of Oulu (Finland) created an extensive interdisciplinary research project related to the under-floor church burials This has evolved into two individual projects: the Church, Space and Memory Project and the New Perspectives on Childhood in Finland (1600–1900): Funerary Attire as an Indicator of Status of Children Project. The Church, Space and Memory Project gathers together researchers from different fields of archaeology: bioarchaeology, paleopathology, childhood archaeology, entomology, and textile archaeology This interdisciplinary approach offers a wide variety of approaches to investigating the cultural and material heritage preserved in Finnish churches and, especially, under their floors. We have chosen not to describe these identified burials in detail, reveal their exact locations under the church floors, and, most importantly, not publish facial pictures of their remains These procedures still allow us to reproduce the life histories of the individuals. We hope the findings of the projects, such as the suitable humidity and environment for the continued preservation of the remains, will help the parishes in maintaining the burials intact into the future
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