Since the end of the last ice Age ten thousand or so years ago, over the period that we know as 'history', about one hundred billions people have dies. Death is, on the one hand, an ordinary, inevitable, mundane event, which must be budgeted for and dealt with pragmatically. On the other hand, human beings have always endowed death and its mystery with enormous cultural significance, and have sought to transcend it through rituals and memorials of all kinds. This fascinating collections of essays provides a range of perspectives on death, encompassing literature, archaeology, law, medical ethics, music and art. Jon Davies is Head of the Department of Religious Studies in the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.