Pyre-Related Material in Inhumation Graves

Investigating Traces of Viking Age Biritualism in South-Western Scania

Abstract

The article discusses and briefly describes the inclusion of cremated remains in the inhumation burials dating to the Viking Age discovered in six locations in south-western Scania. Previous interpretations, linking the material to human funerary sacrifice and the cult of Odin, are discussed. A new perspective is proposed, focusing on the transformative nature of the burial and on its role in establishing the identities of the mourners, with special attention directed towards New Kinship studies. Ideas for further research are presented.