A Dead Good Job: gravedigging in Bristol municipal cemeteries

Description

Our municipal cemeteries are surprisingly versatile spaces: they memorialise the dead, provide recreation for the living, are home to a wide variety of wildlife – and are also places of work.

In this talk archaeologist Dr Stuart Prior, together with historian and folklorist Dr Helen Frisby, will present their recent research into just what it’s like to work in a cemetery. Along the way they’ll explore the history of Bristol’s municipal cemeteries, and question what modern lifestyles and deathstyles might mean for these fascinating spaces in the future.

Dr Stuart Prior is a Reader in Archaeological Practice at the University of Bristol. A former gravedigger, he’s previously appeared on Time Team.

Dr Helen Frisby is a historian and folklorist. Her PhD was on Victorian funerals, and she’s previously appeared on The History Channel and BBC radio.

Period	23 Feb 2019
Event type	Conference
Location	Bristol, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Local