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The inverted dead of Britain’s Bronze Age barrows: a perspective from Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Wiseman, Robert 
Allen, Michael J 
Gibson, Catriona 

Abstract

Barrows are a prominent feature of Britain’s Bronze Age. While they originated as burial monuments, they also appear to have acquired other roles. However, British prehistorians have been hampered in their interpretations, as they are wary of speculating how Bronze Age people conceptualised their dead. Here were suggest that a recurrent pattern of inversion is significant. We use Conceptual Metaphor Theory to argue that Bronze Age people saw their dead inhabiting an inverted underworld directly beneath the surface of the earth. This would help explain not only burial practices, but also barrows’ other apparent functions.

Description

Keywords

Bronze Age, barrows, archaeology of death, Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Journal Title

Antiquity: a quarterly review of archaeology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0003-598X
1745-1744

Volume Title

95

Publisher

Cambridge University Press
Sponsorship
No external funding sources