Delighted to announce that Burying the Dead will be released in paperback this coming November. 

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Burying-the-Dead-Paperback/p/52504

Deep in the heart of North Yorkshire, at a place called Walkington Wold, there lies a rather unusual burial ground, an Anglo- Saxon execution cemetery. Twelve skeletons were unearthed by archaeologists, ten without skulls, later examination of the skeletons revealed that their owners were all subjected to judicial execution by decapitation, one of which required several blows.

Similar fates have befallen other wretched souls, the undignified burial of suicides - in the Middle Ages, the most profound of sins - and the desecration of their bodies, go largely unrecorded. Whilst plague pits, vast cemeteries where victims of the Black Death were tossed into the ground, their bodies festering one on top of another, are only today betraying their secrets.

Although unpalatable to some, these burial grounds are an important part of our social heritage. They have been fashioned as much by the people who founded and used them, as by the buildings, gravestones and other features which they contain. They are records of social change; the symbols engraved upon individual memorials convey a sense of inherent belief systems, as they were constructed, adapted or abandoned depending on people’s needs.

Burying the Dead explores how these attitudes, practices and beliefs about death have undergone continual change. By studying the development of society’s funerary spaces, the author will reveal how we continue to reinforce our relationships with the dead, in a constant and on-going effort to maintain a bond with them.

What they say:

Some books manage to strike a perfect balance between history and storytelling, and Lorraine Evans’s Burying the Dead does just that. From the very first chapter, Evans pulls the reader into the world of archaeology, not as a dry, academic subject, but as a living, breathing pursuit that connects us with the stories of those who came before us. It’s one of those reads that makes you pause and marvel at how much of human history still rests just beneath our feet.

What the Book Is About
Burying the Dead dives into the fascinating and sometimes surprising history of burial practices. Evans takes us on a journey across time and culture, looking at how different societies treated their dead, what those choices revealed about their values, and how modern archaeology helps piece those stories together. She doesn’t just stop at the facts and dates; instead, she weaves in the emotions, rituals, and symbolism that give these ancient practices meaning. Whether it’s the grandeur of an Egyptian tomb, the solemnity of a Viking burial, or the quieter traces of more ordinary lives, Evans treats each discovery with curiosity and respect.

Why It Works So Well
What makes this book shine is Evans’s ability to make complex history accessible. She writes with a warmth and clarity that never talks down to the reader, and instead invites you along like a friend eager to share something incredible they’ve just learned. Her background as an archaeologist gives the book authority, but her conversational tone makes it approachable even for those who’ve never cracked open a history book since school. Every chapter feels like an excavation of not just artifacts, but of human stories—ones that remind us how much we all share across cultures and centuries.

Final Thoughts
Burying the Dead is both thought-provoking and deeply engaging, a book that will leave readers with a new appreciation for archaeology and the ways we honor life through death. Lorraine Evans shows that the past isn’t some distant, unreachable place—it’s a part of us, waiting to be uncovered and understood. For anyone interested in history, anthropology, or simply a good, insightful read, this book is a real gem. It’s the kind of nonfiction that lingers with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

NetGalley, Amanda Sedlak-Hevener