An Inconvenient Corpse: Settler Adaptation to Winter Death and Burial through Structural and Oral History

Authors

Robyn S. Lacy, Memorial University of NewfoundlandFollow

Abstract

While the archaeology of death and burial is a popular avenue of research, considerations for burial practices during winter months in northerly climates when temperatures regularly drop below 0°C / 32°F aren’t regularly considered. Excavations in search of the early 17^th-century burials associated with Sir George Calvert’s English colony in Ferryland, Newfoundland considered different options for winter body disposal. While burial on land presented the most plausible option in the colonial period, deaths during the winter would have posed a problem for settlers. With limited options for digging in frozen ground, the storage of dead bodies during the winter became commonplace throughout North America. The practice dominated the northeast coast in particular, but was not the only option. This paper explores the logistics of early winter burial practices such as winter storage and grave digging through structural evidence and oral testimony, and considers how these practices were adapted throughout the 18th to 21^st centuries.

Recommended Citation

Lacy, Robyn S. (2021) "An Inconvenient Corpse: Settler Adaptation to Winter Death and Burial through Structural and Oral History," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 50 50, Article 9.
Available at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol50/iss1/9