INTER-SECTION Volume II | Page 11

| Patterns in the distribution of graves in the central medieval cemetery of Reusel, the Netherlands |

entation of the graves was determined by measuring from the head to the feet of the skeleton. If a skeleton was preserved, it was attempted to estimate sex.

By plotting different traits on the cemetery map, patterns can be discovered that may point to special or different treatment of certain groups or the development of the cemetery through time.

Results: spatial distribution of population density, grave morphologies, orientation, and sex People were buried everywhere around the church, but the most striking aspect of the map is the concentration of graves in the area of the second presbytery( table 1). The population density of this area( 3.19 graves / m 2) is almost three times as high as the average( 1.23 graves / m 2). Since some of these graves are intersected by the presbytery, it can be deduced that those graves predate the gothic church. They were probably interred during the period of the timber or Romanesque church. Also notable is that there are hardly any people buried intramurally. Stratification shows that most graves that lie within the walls of the gothic church were originally buried outside( Nater 2016, 63-68).

All types of graves were spread across the cemetery, apart from the ladder coffins, which were located only in the eastern part of the cemetery( fig. 5). Orientation could be determined for only

39 percent of the graves, because many graves were badly preserved. It turned out that most orientations appear across the cemetery. Only three graves were oriented from southwest to northeast, rather than northwest to southeast. These are all located more to the east and southeast of the church( fig. 6). One of these was an older woman buried in a timber coffin. The others could not be sexed or aged, and were buried in an anthropomorphic and an unknown way.

The skeletons of 146 individuals were sufficiently preserved to be studied. Estimation of sex was possible in 63 individuals. When plotting the sexes on the map, it appeared that men and women were buried unsegregated( fig. 7). In the area enclosed by the tower, females were buried right in front of the church doors and in extension of these. No males were recovered in this area, although most skeletons in the tower could not be sexed. As far as could be determined, the burials within the Romanesque church were all male. Both sexes were buried in all types of containers, apart from the ladder coffin, which was only used for males( fig. 8).

Discussion There are several patterns visible within the cemetery of Reusel. The grave density in the area east of the Romanesque church presbytery suggests that this location was the most favourable place at the cemetery( Blair 2005, 471; Boddington 1996, 36-

Table 1. The amount of graves per area and the population density of every area.

2016 | INTER-SECTION | VOL II | p. 9