Two Cemeteries from Bristol's Northern Suburbs (Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Report)

Two reports are published in this volume: excavations in 2004 at Henbury School, Bristol (by Derek Evans, Neil Holbrook and E.R. McSloy) and excavations in 2005 at Hewlett Packard, Filton, South Gloucestershire (by Kate Cullen, Neil Holbrook, Martin Watts, Anwen Caffell and Malin Holst). Dealing with the dead is a complex and emotive issue. Our awareness of death, and how we treat our dead is central to our humanity, and respect for the mortal remains of the dead is an underlying principle in modern society. Often archaeologists are responsible for the excavation, storage and ultimate redeposition of human remains, and a code of practice aiming at respecting the wishes of the dead and their relatives/community is very important. This publication presents the results of two cemetery excavations, with what is hopefully a balanced and respectful reporting of the human remains and the information that they can provide. Despite their difference in date, the two skeletons at Henbury and Fitton have some common elements. Both feature a predominant (though differing) burial attitude and grave orientation, and neither were rich in grave goods. The juxtaposition of some graves and (rare) intercutting of others at both cemeteries may well reflect family associations. That such attributes also relate to modern burial grounds reminds us of the very human nature of this type of archaeological resource. It is not just the information value of human remains that makes their study so rewarding but also their associative value, enabling us to identify more closely with our forebears, both in life and in death.