Cemeteries from the Central and Late Middle Ages have not yet been studied extensively, even though cemeteries can provide interesting information about societies. This study assesses patterns in... Show moreCemeteries from the Central and Late Middle Ages have not yet been studied extensively, even though cemeteries can provide interesting information about societies. This study assesses patterns in the ways that individuals were buried at the central medieval cemetery of Reusel (the Netherlands). It was examined whether patterns in grave morphologies and distribution were different from burial practices in other medieval cemeteries. In order to do this, the distribution of different grave morphologies and their orientation were examined. Different grave morphologies appeared all over the cemetery, apart from the ladder gravetype, which was restricted to the eastern part of the churchyard. Differentiation was also apparent in the orientation of graves. One woman was buried in a priest-like position. Such patterns suggest that social differences between individuals were expressed by burial in different parts of the cemetery, and by burial in different types of graves and orientations. Furthermore, this study confirms the existence of local variation in burial practices in this period. Show less
