Ancient Landscapes and the Dead: The Reuse of Prehistoric and Roman Monuments as Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites

Abstract

THE MANY HUNDREDS of known early medieval cemeteries dated between the late 5th and early 8th centuries A.D. from southern and eastern England have largely been studied in terms of artefacts and human remains. The reuse of prehistoric and Roman structures by these burial sites has received much less attention and discussion. It is suggested that the landscape context of early Anglo-Saxon burial rites provides considerable evidence for the social and ideological significance of the dead in early Anglo-Saxon society.