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Howard Williams presents 'Cosy Cremation', exploring how we interpret cremation in early Anglo-Saxon England.
Citation: Williams, H. 2024. Cosy Cremation. Session: Towards an Archaeology of Cosiness: exploring the lines between comfort, utility, and beyond. Bournemouth Theoretical Archaeology Group 45th annual meeting, 15 December 2024.
Further reading:
Meyers Emery, K. and Williams, H. 2018. A place to rest your (burnt) bones? Mortuary houses in early Anglo-Saxon England, Archaeological Journal 175(1): 55–86.
Wessman, A. and Williams, H. 2017. Building for the cremated dead, in J.I. Cerezo-Román, A. Wessman and H. Williams (eds) Cremation and the Archaeology of Death, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 177–98.
Williams, H. 2016. Ethnographies for early Anglo-Saxon cremation, in I. Riddler, L. Keys, and J. Soulat (eds) Le témoignage de la culture matérielle: mélanges offerts au Professeur Vera Evison/ The Evidence of Material Culture: Studies in Honour of Professor Vera Evison, Europe Médiévale 10, Autun: Éditions Mergoil, pp. 139–54 hdl.handle.net/10034/620242
Semple, S. and Williams, H. 2015. Landmarks for the dead: exploring Anglo-Saxon mortuary geographies, in M. Clegg Hyer and G. R. Owen-Crocker (eds) The Material Culture of the Built Environment in the Anglo-Saxon World, Vol. II of The Material Culture of Daily Living in the Anglo-Saxon World, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, pp. 137–61
Williams, H. 2014. A well-urned rest: cremation and inhumation in early Anglo-Saxon England, in I. Kuijt, C.P. Quinn and G. Cooney (eds) Transformation by Fire: The Archaeology of Cremation in Cultural Context, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 93-118.
Nugent, R. & Williams, H. 2012. Sighted surfaces: ocular agency in early Anglo-Saxon cremation burials, in I-M. Back Danielsson, F. Fahlander & Y. Sjöstrand (eds) Encountering Images: Materialities, Perceptions, Relations. Stockholm Studies in Archaeology 57, Stockholm: Stockholm University, pp. 187-208.
Williams, H. 2011. Mortuary practices in early Anglo-Saxon England, in H. Hamerow, D. Hinton and S. Crawford (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 238-59.
Williams, H. 2010. At the funeral, in M. Carver, A. Sanmark & S. Semple (eds) Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo-Saxon Paganism Revisited, Oxford: Oxbow, pp. 67-83.
Williams, H. 2007. Transforming body and soul: toilet implements in early Anglo-Saxon graves, in S. Semple & H. Williams (eds) Early Medieval Mortuary Practices: Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology & History 14: 66–91.
Williams, H. 2006. Death & Memory in Early Medieval Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Williams, H. 2005. Animals, ashes & ancestors, in A. Pluskowski (ed.) Beyond Skin and Bones? New Perspectives on Human-Animal Relations in the Historical Past, Oxford: BAR International Series 1410, pp. 19-40.
Williams, H. 2005. Keeping the dead at arm’s length: memory, weaponry and early medieval mortuary technologies, Journal of Social Archaeology 5(2): 253–275.
Williams, H. 2004. Death warmed up: the agency of bodies and bones in early Anglo-Saxon cremation rites, Journal of Material Culture 9(3): 263–91.
Williams, H. 2004. Assembling the dead, in A. Pantos & S. Semple (eds.) Assembly Places and Practices in Medieval Europe. Dublin: Four Courts Press, pp. 109–34.
Williams, H. 2003. Material culture as memory: combs and cremation in early medieval Britain, Early Medieval Europe 12(2): 89–128.
Williams, H. 2002. Cemeteries as central places: landscape and identity in early Anglo-Saxon England, in B. Hårdh & L. Larsson (eds.) Central Places in the Migration and Merovingian Periods. Papers from the 52nd Sachsensymposium. Lund: Almqvist, pp. 341–62.
Williams, H. 2002. “The Remains of Pagan Saxondom”? studying Anglo-Saxon cremation practices, in S. Lucy & A. Reynolds (eds) Burial in Early Medieval England and Wales. Leeds: Maney, Society of Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 17, pp. 47–71.
Williams, H. 2001. Death, memory and time: a consideration of mortuary practices at Sutton Hoo, in C. Humphrey & W. Ormrod (eds.) Time in the Middle Ages. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. pp. 35–71.
Williams, H. 2001. An ideology of transformation: cremation rites and animal sacrifice in early Anglo- Saxon England, in. N. Price (ed.) The Archaeology of Shamanism. London: Routledge. pp. 193– 212.
Williams, H. 2000. ‘The Burnt Germans of the Age of Iron’: An Analysis of Early Anglo-Saxon Cremation Practices. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Reading: University of Reading.
Williams, H. 1999. Identities and cemeteries in Roman and early medieval archaeology, in P. Baker, C. Forcey, S.Jundi & R. Witcher (eds). TRAC 98 Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference. Oxford: Oxbow Books. pp. 96-108.
Howard Williams presents 'Cosy Cremation', exploring how we interpret cremation in early Anglo-Saxon England.
Citation: Williams, H. 2024. Cosy Cremation. Session: Towards an Archaeology of Cosiness: exploring the lines between comfort, utility, and beyond. Bournemouth Theoretical Archaeology Group 45th annual meeting, 15 December 2024.
Further reading:
Meyers Emery, K. and Williams, H. 2018. A place to rest your (burnt) bones? Mortuary houses in early Anglo-Saxon England, Archaeological Journal 175(1): 55–86.
Wessman, A. and Williams, H. 2017. Building for the cremated dead, in J.I. Cerezo-Román, A. Wessman and H. Williams (eds) Cremation and the Archaeology of Death, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 177–98.
Williams, H. 2016. Ethnographies for early Anglo-Saxon cremation, in I. Riddler, L. Keys, and J. Soulat (eds) Le témoignage de la culture matérielle: mélanges offerts au Professeur Vera Evison/ The Evidence of Material Culture: Studies in Honour of Professor Vera Evison, Europe Médiévale 10, Autun: Éditions Mergoil, pp. 139–54 hdl.handle.net/10034/620242
Semple, S. and Williams, H. 2015. Landmarks for the dead: exploring Anglo-Saxon mortuary geographies, in M. Clegg Hyer and G. R. Owen-Crocker (eds) The Material Culture of the Built Environment in the Anglo-Saxon World, Vol. II of The Material Culture of Daily Living in the Anglo-Saxon World, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, pp. 137–61
Williams, H. 2014. A well-urned rest: cremation and inhumation in early Anglo-Saxon England, in I. Kuijt, C.P. Quinn and G. Cooney (eds) Transformation by Fire: The Archaeology of Cremation in Cultural Context, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 93-118.
Nugent, R. & Williams, H. 2012. Sighted surfaces: ocular agency in early Anglo-Saxon cremation burials, in I-M. Back Danielsson, F. Fahlander & Y. Sjöstrand (eds) Encountering Images: Materialities, Perceptions, Relations. Stockholm Studies in Archaeology 57, Stockholm: Stockholm University, pp. 187-208.
Williams, H. 2011. Mortuary practices in early Anglo-Saxon England, in H. Hamerow, D. Hinton and S. Crawford (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 238-59.
Williams, H. 2010. At the funeral, in M. Carver, A. Sanmark & S. Semple (eds) Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo-Saxon Paganism Revisited, Oxford: Oxbow, pp. 67-83.
Williams, H. 2007. Transforming body and soul: toilet implements in early Anglo-Saxon graves, in S. Semple & H. Williams (eds) Early Medieval Mortuary Practices: Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology & History 14: 66–91.
Williams, H. 2006. Death & Memory in Early Medieval Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Williams, H. 2005. Animals, ashes & ancestors, in A. Pluskowski (ed.) Beyond Skin and Bones? New Perspectives on Human-Animal Relations in the Historical Past, Oxford: BAR International Series 1410, pp. 19-40.
Williams, H. 2005. Keeping the dead at arm’s length: memory, weaponry and early medieval mortuary technologies, Journal of Social Archaeology 5(2): 253–275.
Williams, H. 2004. Death warmed up: the agency of bodies and bones in early Anglo-Saxon cremation rites, Journal of Material Culture 9(3): 263–91.
Williams, H. 2004. Assembling the dead, in A. Pantos & S. Semple (eds.) Assembly Places and Practices in Medieval Europe. Dublin: Four Courts Press, pp. 109–34.
Williams, H. 2003. Material culture as memory: combs and cremation in early medieval Britain, Early Medieval Europe 12(2): 89–128.
Williams, H. 2002. Cemeteries as central places: landscape and identity in early Anglo-Saxon England, in B. Hårdh & L. Larsson (eds.) Central Places in the Migration and Merovingian Periods. Papers from the 52nd Sachsensymposium. Lund: Almqvist, pp. 341–62.
Williams, H. 2002. “The Remains of Pagan Saxondom”? studying Anglo-Saxon cremation practices, in S. Lucy & A. Reynolds (eds) Burial in Early Medieval England and Wales. Leeds: Maney, Society of Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 17, pp. 47–71.
Williams, H. 2001. Death, memory and time: a consideration of mortuary practices at Sutton Hoo, in C. Humphrey & W. Ormrod (eds.) Time in the Middle Ages. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. pp. 35–71.
Williams, H. 2001. An ideology of transformation: cremation rites and animal sacrifice in early Anglo- Saxon England, in. N. Price (ed.) The Archaeology of Shamanism. London: Routledge. pp. 193– 212.
Williams, H. 2000. ‘The Burnt Germans of the Age of Iron’: An Analysis of Early Anglo-Saxon Cremation Practices. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Reading: University of Reading.
Williams, H. 1999. Identities and cemeteries in Roman and early medieval archaeology, in P. Baker, C. Forcey, S.Jundi & R. Witcher (eds). TRAC 98 Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference. Oxford: Oxbow Books. pp. 96-108.










