Review of Jay M. Stottman, ed. \u3cem\u3eArchaeologists as Activists: Can Archaeologists Change the World?\u3c/em\u3e

Christensen urges archaeologists to enter the fray of current sociopolitical debates (p. 20) but to choose associations and involvements with care. [...]she implores us to view activist sites, such as Gage\u27s, as a means to reassess the past and dismantle stereotypes. [...]it is evident that the strengths of this volume lie in delivering something that has not, to my knowledge, been provided yet: a self-help book for archaeologists who aspire to reconceptualize, reformulate, and initiate their roles within the larger sociopolitical arena

Mortuary Workers, the Church, and the Funeral Trade in Late Antiquity

Within the city of Constantinople, Constantine organized numerous funeral workers into associations overseen by a bishop, as part of a scheme meant to provide burials for all who needed them within the city. The funeral workers were given special exemptions and clerical status in return for their services. Constantine\u27s model was imitated in other cities within the eastern Mediterranean and, as a result, established new urban patronage networks. The newly elevated funeral professionals were liminal men, between the commercial and clerical worlds and dependent on bishops for their employment and status. Some bishops exploited this dependency by using funeral workers as personal militias. Inscriptions and legal evidence also point to the increasing influence of the church in the funeral trade. Although Constantine envisioned a city that exemplified the Christian belief in provision of burial to all, his scheme had numerous unintended consequences. Investigation of these funeral associations reveals the role of the bishop as a patron, funeral director, and businessman during the Late Roman Empire and better defines the involvement of the church in the funeral trade in Late Antiquity