About
Colleagues from a range of academic disciplines and related professional backgrounds find a supportive home in the Death Matters network (Centre in Development). We host thought-provoking discussion events, facilitate networking opportunities and exchanges of news and ideas, and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration (as well as excellent single-discipline and multidisciplinary studies) relating to death.
Death Matters builds from a strong history of careful work with human remains in the University’s anatomy, archaeology, medical education, and collections teams, as well as research interests from the perspectives of anthropology, arts (including literature), divinity, history, law and philosophy. Colleagues from these and other domains began to convene in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, during which the Care in Funerals Project demonstrated the strong potential of more interdisciplinary working. Internal pump prime funding supported the planning and hosting of a ‘Conversation on Death’ event in May 2023 to establish a broader network and plan towards the development of a research centre.
We welcome practitioner and community participation in relevant events and are keen to hear ideas about research need and expressions of interest in collaboration. Please contact Arnar Árnason (Director) or Vikki Entwistle (Deputy Director) in the first instance.
People
University of Aberdeen staff currently active in Death Matters include:
Arnar Árnason (Centre Director) – Anthropology
John Behr - Divinity
Michael Brown – History
Taylor Coffey – Applied Health Sciences
Rebecca Crozier – Archaeology
Neil Curtis – University Collections
Vikki Entwistle (Centre co-director) – Applied Health Sciences and Philosophy
Noor Halabi – Politics and International Relations
Nevena Jevremovich - Law
Alisdair MacPherson – Law
Heidi Mehrkens – History
Marc Oxenham – Archaeology
Jennifer Riley – Divinity
Kate Smith – Education
Paula Sweeney - Philosophy
Euan West - Law
Patricia Zivkovic – Law
We also have a number of PhD students working with us.
Research
Centre members are involved in a range of projects. Some of our current and recent funded research is outlined here.
Baggage for the beyond: exploring contemporary UK grave goods and their meaning
This project explores what people in Britain today are putting in other people’s coffins or graves and why. The project also connects to questions about afterlife beliefs, the environmental impact of funerals and the interpretation of archaeological finds involving burials. The project is led by Jennie Riley and funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
This project investigated funerary practitioners’ and bereaved people’s experiences of funeral provision during COVID-19 emergency, when responses to disruption and efforts to adapt helped illuminate what can matter to people about funerals and why. The resulting Care in Funerals Casebook is a free online resource containing 12 stories and associated questions and commentaries to stimulate reflection and discussion on values and practices related to death, funerals and bereavement. The project was led by Vikki Entwistle and funded by the ESRC as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19.
Death and Law: interdisciplinary explorations
Led by legal scholars Patricia Zivkovich and Alisdair McPherson, this interdisciplinary project is investigating how death and its various implications are treated in different aspects of law (especially but not only Scots law). A stimulating series of discussion events through the second half of 2024 was followed by a series of podcasts in 2025. The team are now working on a book project.
Projects in development
We are also planning and developing projects on: Respect for the dead (learning from cross-sectoral and cross-cultural conversations); and Regulating for quality in the funeral sector. Please get in touch if you would be interested in getting involved.
Events
Past events
"How to be a Dalai Lama: Death and Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism" seminar by Prof Martin Mills (Anthropology) 11 March 2026.
Death Matters meet up and catch up – in person and hybrid, 26 February 2026.
“The dominion of the dead” by Robert Pogue Harrison. Online reading group led by Dr Nevena Jevremovic, September 2025 – April 2026.
New Insights into Scottish Deathways: a digital conference. 24-25 April 2025.
Arnar Arnason and Vikki Entwistle worked with Susan Buckham (Kirkyard Consulting) to host this event in the ‘Death in Scotland’ conference series. The conference connected academics and practitioners working in a variety of roles who shared insights and ideas across a range of topics, periods and perspectives relating to death and Scotland. The keynote presentation was given by Professor Michael Brown, Chair in Irish, Scottish & Enlightenment History, University of Aberdeen. https://abdn.eventsair.com/deathinscotland2025/
“Understanding, communicating, supporting: avoiding disputes and enhancing the experience of children with life-shortening conditions in Scotland”. Seminar by Dr Sarah Sivers (RGU) and Dr Heather Morgan, 7 February 2025.
“Death” by Geoffrey Scarre. Online reading group on the philosophy of death (not just for academic philosophers!) led by Prof Vikki Entwistle, January – April 2025.
2024
Informal update sharing with seasonal edible treats. 17 December 2024
Presentation on ‘Death Studies at the University of Aberdeen’ by Arnar Árnason to the Akita International University 2024 Research Showcase (online 22 November 2024 – 14 December 2024)
Death and Law – interdisciplinary perspectives. Led by Alisdair MacPherson and Patricia Zivkovic. 18 November 2024
Presentation by Miroslaw Sadowski: ‘Representations of death between law and memory’. 14 November 2024
Revisiting ‘Human remains: the sacred, museums and archaeology’ by Neil Curtis. Journal paper + discussion with author. 28 October 2024
Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas – About Death! Jennie Riley and Arnar Arnason took to the stage at the Lemon Tree venue with fascinating talks about the items people are buried with and ‘respectful cannibalism’. 25 September 2024
Death in Law – interdisciplinary explorations (3): Death and harm. Led by Alisdair MacPherson and Patricia Zivkovic; speakers Jonathan Ainslie, Euan West, Zeray Yihdego
Death in Law – interdisciplinary explorations (2): Property. Led by Alisdair MacPherson and Patricia Zivkovic; speakers Alisdair MacPherson, Patricia Zivkovic, Nevena Jevremovic. 29 August 2024
Death in Law – interdisciplinary explorations (1): Personality. Led by Alisdair MacPherson and Patricia Zivkovic; speakers Jonathan Ainslie, Patricia Zivkovic, Nevena Jevremovic. 22 August 2024.
Journal paper + discussion: Geoffrey Scarre (2024) Alkaline hydrolysis and respect for the dead: an ethical critique. Led by Vikki Entwistle (Philosophy / applied health sciences), 17 July 2024
Joint discussion event with Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and Rule of Law (CISRUL): the origins of western views of burial (includes discussion of extracts from Augustine, The City of God). Led by Brian Brock (Divinity), 6 June 2024
Public Discussion Event: Why and how should we respect the dead? Speakers: Rebecca Crozier (Archaeology), Simon Parson (Anatomy), Mark Shaw (local funeral director), Stephen Holland (philosophy, University of York). Joint event with Centre for Knowledge and Society, funded by the Royal Institute of Philosophy, led by Vikki Entwistle, Aberdeen Art Gallery, 3 May 2024
Guided drawing exercise and pot luck lunch. Led by Michael Hautemulle (local artist), Project Space, 10 April 2024
Internal sharing meeting. Project/interest updates from: Taylor Coffey (applied health sciences); Alisdair McPherson (law); Jennie Riley (divinity); Patricia Zivkovic (law). 20 March 2024
Work in progress discussion: “Here be monsters: the supernatural and paranormal in eighteenth century studies”. Led by Michael Brown (History) 26 February 2024
Themed discussion: Thoughts about birth, life and death in early Christianity. Led by John Behr (Divinity). 31 January 2024
2023
Journal paper + discussion – with author: Leah Henrickson (2023) Chatting with the dead: the hermeneutics of thanabots. Led by Nour Halabi (Politics and International Relations) with Leah Henrickson. 18 December 2023
Journal paper + discussion: Daniel Robins & Rosie Smith (2020) Hidden labour in funeral directing: providing care to ‘difficult’ dead bodies. Led by Jennie Riley (Divinity). 1 November 2023
Journal paper + discussion: Mary Shannon (2017) Crossing boundaries: visual representations of death and dying. Led by Jess Wood (Applied Health Sciences). 18 October 2023
Journal paper + discussion: Mensah Akindrah (2022) “If you die a bad death, we give you a bad burial”: mortuary practices and ‘bad death’ among the Akan in Ghana. Led by Vikki Entwistle (Philosophy and Applied Health Sciences). 11 July 2023
Ongoing conversation on death: exploring death in Aberdeen and North East Scotland. Initiated by Vikki Entwistle, 15 June 2023
Ongoing conversation on death: foregrounding an ecological approach in thinking about the ethics of death and disposal. Led by Taylor Coffey (Applied Health Sciences), 12 June 2023
Conversation on Death – networking and discussion event. Presentations by: Marc Oxenham and Rebecca Crozier (Archaeology); Alisdair MacPherson (Law); Vikki Entwistle (Applied health sciences / Philosophy); Arnar Árnason (Anthropology); Jennie Riley (Divinity); Zhu Zhu (Linguistics); Neil Curtis (Museums and Special Collections), 9 May 2023