Unearthly Landscapes: New Zealand's Early Cemeteries, Churchyards And Urupā by Stephen Deed

"By the nineteenth century the ancient urban churchyards of Britain, burdened with generations of dead. were unable to cope with rising numbers of corpses. Partially decomposed bodies were regularly disinterred and dumped in pits to free up room for the newly dead. Fears about the danger to public health eventually put an end to the urban churchyard burial grounds, and by the time settlers set sail for New Zealand large 'modern' cemeteries were being established on the edges of towns and cities. Migrants therefore brought with them a range of burial practices. The land they arrived in already had a long tradition of Māori burial ritual and places, which would be transformed by this contact with the European world. The migrants' own traditions were adapted to their new environment and society, creating burial places unique to New Zealand. "--Book flap. This 2015 Otago University Press Softcover is in very good condition. Heavy.

ISBN: 9781927322185 SKU: 1571947 This image is of the actual book.

Location: NZ NF