History Extra podcast Bodies, bones & overflowing churchyards: a history of graveyards
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Oct 31, 2025 Historian Roger Luckhurst, author of 'Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead,' dives into the fascinating world of burial practices. He discusses the cultural significance of graveyards as sites of both solace and gothic intrigue. From ancient tombs and lavish memorials to the macabre allure of ossuaries, Luckhurst covers it all. He also uncovers the political symbolism behind preserved leaders like Lenin and addresses modern challenges of urban burial practices amidst rising cremation trends.
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Graveyards Show Living Relationships With Death
- Graveyards reveal how constantly we live with and think about our dead across cultures and eras.
- Roger Luckhurst says this everyday engagement shapes personal and public memory practices.
Lockdown Walks To Local Graveyards
- Roger Luckhurst used local lost graveyards as lockdown walking destinations and became obsessed with them.
- He describes graveyards as restful, contemplative places that he frequently visited for solace.
Dead Bodies As Political Symbols
- Memorials do political work by recruiting dead individuals into national narratives.
- Luckhurst highlights war memorials and pantheons as tools for shaping national identity.
