| Catelijne I. Nater |
church( fig. 2). Around and in these church foundations, 492 graves and a series of other features were found. The establishment date of the cemetery is estimated to be in the second half of the tenth century CE, based on radiocarbon dates. Most excavated graves are from the tenth to thirteenth century, with some additions from later periods. The chronology of the cemetery and churches was determined based on stratigraphic relations and height values( fig. 2). Burial started west of the timber church and continued on the south-eastern side of the church at the time of the Romanesque church. When this part of the cemetery became crowded, burial continued north and west of the church. In this period, a tower was added to the western side of the church. Eventually, the Romanesque church was replaced by a larger gothic church, while burial continued on the north-western side of this church. A few graves were presumably constructed within this church, although this is not entirely certain.
To find out to what extent differences between villages play a role in central medieval cemeteries, the graves and individuals at the cemetery of Reusel were analysed in terms of time of burial, location, orientation, morphology, sex and age. Patterns that appeared were then compared to other archaeological sites, and possible reasons for differences in patterns were attested. This article highlights some aspects of this research. The complete documentation of the research, including more details about the chronology of the cemetery, can be found in Nater( 2016).
Burial within the Christian religion during the Central and Late Middle Ages During the Central and Late Middle Ages, Christianity became more and more institutionalised( Arts et al. 2007, 27; Janssens 2011, 38). This had its impact on all aspects of life, including burial practices, for which regulations arose( Blair 2005, 463; Lauwers 1997, 318; Theuws and Van Haperen 2012, 165). Being buried in a favourable place at the cemetery was important, especially for high-status people( Effros 1997, 5). Who was to be buried where, was determined by the clergy( Treffort 1996, 188) or by the deceased’ s kinsmen( Boddington 1996, 69).
Several patterns of burial differentiation are visible in medieval graveyards throughout Europe. People of very low status, such as criminals, lepers, excommunicates and unbaptised neonates, were often excluded from the communal graveyard( Binski 1996, 56; Bourin and Durand 2000, 60; Gilchrist 2012, 209; Lauwers 1997, 221-2; Meier and Graham-Campbell 2013, 434). In the tenth
Figure 1. Location of Reusel in the Netherlands.
century CE, burial inside the church was exceptional( Treffort 1996, 138). Children’ s graves often had their own part of the cemetery( Daniell 1997, 115; Gilchrist 2012, 205; Pinhasi and Bourbou 2008, 35; Saunders 2008, 120), sometimes under the eavesdrop( Daniell 1997, 118; Treffort 1996, 147). Other favourable places were the east of the church( Blair 2005, 471; Boddington 1996, 36-7; Huijbers 2007, 409) or the southern, sunny side of the church( Blair 2005, 471; Boddington 1996, 36- 7; Huijbers 2007, 409; Parker Pearson 1999, 14).
Apart from location, the morphology of medieval graves is important. At most cemeteries, multiple types of grave structures appear both above and below ground. In the later Middle Ages, burial in a shroud, without a coffin, was very common( Bourin and Durand 2000, 60; Gilchrist 2012, 200). However, in some cemeteries, e. g. Aalst( Arts et al. 1998, 33) and Eindhoven( Arts 2013b, 130) coffin burials were more common. Differences may be related to the period the cemetery was in use or to the wealth of different parishes( Binski 1996, 55; Gilchrist 2012, 200).
Another significant characteristic of Christian cemeteries is the orientation of the graves. Usually, people were buried with the head to the west and the feet to the east. Since it was believed that Jesus would one day arrive in the east, people buried with their heads to the west would be able to p. 6 | VOL II | INTER-SECTION | 2016