Introduction: Death and Fire in the Early Middle Ages

Introducing this first-ever edited collection drawing together the latest research on the cremation of the dead in early medieval North-West Europe, the chapter identifies, rationalises and contextualises the book's aims: to rethink the burning of the dead in the context of other dimensions to mortuary practices in the early medieval period and showcasing the significant theoretical, methodological and investigative advances of recent decades. The scope and rationale of the book are outlined, focusing on providing a rich and accessible resource for students and scholars of archaeology and cognate fields. The chapter then explains the distinctive process of the book's creation: largely by transcribing and editing structured interviews. The nineteen constituent chapters of the book are then reviewed, and key themes and future directions are identified for the investigation of death and fire in the Early Middle Ages.