The Ritual Killing and Burial of Animals : European Perspectives

The killing and burial of animals in ritualistic contexts is encountered across Europe from Prehistory through to the historical period. This volume presents the state of research across Europe to illustrate how comparable interpretative frameworks are used by archaeologists working with both prehistoric and historical societies. Key questions include: How easy is it to identify ritually killed animals in the archaeological record? Can we tell if an animal has been killed specifically for such a purpose? Is it possible to reconstruct the rites associated with their deposition? What insights can be gained about the religious paradigms and ritual systems of the societies engaged in animal sacrifice? Together, the 16 papers represent a snapshot of the current state of research on this fundamental, recurring and spectacular aspect of human societies in the past. SOC003000 The Killing And Burial Of Animals In Ritualistic Contexts Is Encountered Across Europe From Prehistory Through To The Historical Period. This Volume Presents Research Across Europe To Illustrate How Comparable Interpretative Frameworks Are Used By Archaeologists Working With Both Prehistoric And Historical Societies. Introduction : The Ritual Killing And Burial Of Animals In The Past / Aleksander Pluskowski -- Animal 'ritual' Killing : From Remains To Meanings / James Morris -- Ritualisation (or The Four Fully Articulated Ungulates Of The Apocalypse) / Lee Broderick -- Nourishment For The Soul, Nourishment For The Body : Animal Remains In Early Medieval Pomeranian Cemeteries / Andrzej Kuczkowski And Kamil Kajowski -- Spatial Aspects Of Globular Amphora Culture Funeral Rites With Animal Deposits In Poland / Radosław Szczodrowski -- Horse Burials As Public Ritual : Lithuanian Perspectives / Mindaugas Bertašius -- Protohistoric Animal Deposits In The Alps. Considerations Regarding A Dog, A Pig And Four Human Neonates From The Rural Settlement Of Gamsen (valais, Switzerland) / Nicole Reynaud Savioz -- Late Antique And Early Medieval Animal Burials In Italy / Frank Salvadori -- Distinct From The Everyday And Beyond Counting Calories : Animal Bones From Ritual Spaces In Late Neolithic Settlements At Lake Constance And In Upper Suebia / Karlheinz Steppan -- Animal Deposits In The Late Copper Age Settlement Of Balatonőszöd-temetői Dűlő, Hungary / Tünde Horváth -- Dealing With Deposits In The Dutch River Area : Animals In Settlement Rituals In The Roman Period / Maaike Groot -- Sheep Foundation Burials In Roman Winchester / Mark Maltby -- Early Anglo-saxon Horse Culture And Funerary Ritual (c. Ad 450-650) : Active Mythology In A European Context / Chris Fern -- Evolving Traditions : Horse Slaughter As Part Of Viking Burial Customs In Iceland / Rúnar Leifsson -- Sacred Cows Or Old Beasts? : A Taphonomic Approach To Studying Ritual Killing With An Example From Iron Age Uppåkra, Sweden / Ola Magnell -- Flesh On The Bones : Animal Bodies In Atlantic Roundhouses / Jacqui Mulville [and Others] -- Stone Dead : Dogs In A Medieval Sacral Space / László Bartosiewicz. Edited By Aleksander Pluskowski. Includes Bibliographical References.