Abstract

One of the defining characteristics of the Iron Ages in Ireland and Britain has been the lack of evidence for mortuary practices. In a classic article published in 1964, Frank Hodson described this lack of evidence in Britain as a "negative fossil type" that could be used as one of the defining features of this period of prehistory. Since Hodson's work a variety of new discoveries have been made for Ireland and Britain, allowing us to question whether the idea of a negative fossil type is still true. This talk provides an introduction and overview to mortuary practices in Iron Age Ireland and Britain. It introduces the available dataset, examines some of the recent discoveries and developments, and contextualizes the insular evidence within a near-continental European frame.