Living with the Dead
How We Care for the Deceased
Death is universal. It will meet us all. But it's also a practical problem — what do we do with dead bodies? The Viestads live by a cemetery and are daily spectators of its routines, and their fascination with burials led them to dig deep to examine our relationship with the dead. Taking us on a journey through the world and the past, they explore how the deceased are honoured and cared for, cremated and buried. From archaeological sites in Spain, Israel and Russia to Ghana's fantasy coffins and environmentally friendly burials, and from cremations without fire to turning our dearly departed's ashes into diamonds, this empathetic and enthralling work is for anyone who knows their turn is coming, but who'd like a good book for the journey.
Vibeke Maria Viestad is an archaeologist at the University of Oslo and Honorary Research Fellow at Wits University, Johannesburg. She is the author of Dress as Social Relations.
Andreas Viestad is a writer, TV chef, restaurateur, and food activist. He is the longtime host of New Scandinavian Cooking and a former columnist for the Washington Post. He is the author of Kitchen of Light and Where Flavor Was Born and lives between Oslo and Cape Town.
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