The Archaeodeath Interviews

Since 2013 I have been writing this academic blog called Archaeodeath on WordPress exploring the archaeology and heritage of death and memory. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and dramatic adjustments required to my research, teaching and public outreach, I augmented this with a YouTube channel, also called Archaeodeath. Initially I used this to convert a forthcoming public conference and walking tour due to the planned at Trefonen, Shropshire to the 2020 ‘Special Offa’ digital conference, resulting in two playlists:

• “Special Offa: Communities and Offa’s Dyke Digital Conference.
• Trefonen Special Offa Tragical History Tour

Subsequently, the YouTube channel has grown steadily, with new videos shared via the Archaeodeath Twitter and Facebook accounts, attracting over 660 subscribers. I’ve developed a series of complementary playlists:

• Archaeodeath Interviews – conversations with key experts in mortuary archaeology, bioarchaeology and related fields
• Research from Archaeodeath – introductions and overviews of my published research
• Archaeodeath Debates – key debates in the archaeology & heritage of death and memory
• Public Talks from Archaeodeath – some of my talks
• Archaeo-Hacks – tips and advice on working in archaeology
• News from the Archaeoden – updates on my ongoing activities and archaeology current affairs
• Let’s Talk Random Archaeology – conversations with former University of Chester archaeology student and English teacher Afnan Ezzeldin about archaeology degrees, careers and debates.

In this post, I wish to outline the rationale and progress with the first of these: my Archaeodeath Interviews playlist.

Archaeodeath Interviews

From October 2020 to the present, I’ve published 15 interviews with rising stars and leading experts in mortuary archaeology and archaeologies of remembrance.

The rationale was to provide a venue to conduct detailed interviews and discussions and show-case not only their research but broader issues and themes in today’s mortuary archaeology. Together, they provide a rich resource, show-casing former and current Chester staff and students and their research (1, 2, 5, 11, 12 and 15), well-known researchers in the fields of mortuary archaeology (4, 6, 7 8, 13 and 14) and experts with key research interests connecting mortuary archaeology and archaeologies of remembrance to other theories, methods and techniques in current archaeological research (3, 9, 10). There is plenty to interest the wider public, students and scholars on these fascinating interconnected fields of research.

Here’s the full list and I hope you check them out:

1. Early Anglo-Saxon Heirlooms and Completing an Archaeodeath PhD, with Dr Brian Costello
2. Material Culture before the March: An Interview with Pauline Clarke
3. Viking Living History and Archaeology with Adam Parsons
4. Tomb Raiding in Early Medieval Europe, with Dr Ali Klevnäs
5. Necro-archaeology, with Tom Farrow
6. Ethical Approaches to Human Remains, with Dr Kirsty Squires
7. Death, Caves and DNA, with Dr Lindsey Büster
8. Cremation and the Archaeology of Death, with Dr Jessica I. Cerezo-Román
9. The Comic Art of Death, with John Swogger
10. Contemporary Prehistories, with Dr Kenny Brophy
11. Exhuming the Enemy: The Creation of the Cannock Chase German War Cemetery, with Professor Tim Grady
12. The Dead and the Media, with Ellie Chambers
13. Iron Age Death, with Dr Melanie Giles
14. Death and Burial in Medieval Cheshire, with Dr Kevin Cootes
15. Assemblages for the Dead, with Dr Abigail C. Górkiewicz Downer

I’ve approached a range of further potential interviewees but none are confirmed at present. Therefore, I might give this a break now until later in 2022. More news soon!