Death does not only make the methods of disposing or preserving the corpse topical, but is also a system providing the meaning for death itself. Although, death is a biological process, it is at the same time a phenomenon of cultural, social, religious and philosophical significance. What kind of conceptual framework, terminology and methodology is needed in studying death, and how do they affect the analysis of historical or prehistorical death?
We are looking for short introductions (ca. 15-20 min) addressing theoretical approaches in studying death and burial from different perspectives (e.g. archaeology, history, folklore, philosophy, religion and ethnology) to be presented at Death in Theory workshop in Turku, Finland, on December 11, 2018.
The workshop is organized by the Turku Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (TUCEMEMS). The abstracts should be ca. 150 words, and they should be sent to or by November 15 2018. The language of the workshop is English.
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