 In the second chapter , " Offerings to earth and water in Pre @-@ Roman and Roman Times " , Merrifield explores the various forms of archaeological evidence for ritual deposits in the pre @-@ Roman Iron Age and the Roman Iron Age of Britain . He provides an overview of the evidence for animal and human sacrifice , as well as that in support of ritual offerings in bodies of water such as the River Thames . Merrifield deals with votive deposits on land , in particular looking at the evidence for deposition in ditches , shafts and wells . He rounds off the chapter by examining evidence for Iron Age rituals that took place at the commencement and termination of building constructions . Chapter three , " Rituals of Death " , deals with the religious rituals accompanying death and burial , and their visibility in the archaeological record . It explains the three main ways which human communities have dealt with the corpses of the dead : through exposing them to elements and scavengers , through inhumation and through cremation . Looing at beliefs surrounding the afterlife , Merrifield discusses ways in which these beliefs might be visible in the archaeological record , such as through the deposition of grave goods . Discussing evidence for rituals of separation through which the deceased is separated from the world of the living , including those that deal with the decapitation of the body , Merrifield then looks at the effect of Christianity on burials in Europe , arguing that it brought a new intimacy with the dead through the collection of relics , which was in contrast to the pagan beliefs of the Roman Empire , which portrayed the deceased as unclean . 
 In the second chapter , " Offerings to earth and water in Pre @-@ Roman and Roman Times " , Merrifield <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>explores</mark></a> the various forms of archaeological evidence for ritual deposits in the pre @-@ Roman Iron Age and the Roman Iron Age of Britain . He <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>provides</mark></a> an overview of the evidence for animal and human sacrifice , as well as that in support of ritual offerings in bodies of water such as the River Thames . Merrifield <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>deals</mark></a> with votive deposits on land , in particular looking at the evidence for deposition in ditches , shafts and wells . He <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>rounds</mark></a> off the chapter by examining evidence for Iron Age rituals <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>took place at the commencement and termination of building constructions . Chapter three , " Rituals of Death " , <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>deals</mark></a> with the religious rituals accompanying death and burial , and their visibility in the archaeological record . It <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>explains</mark></a> the three main ways which human communities <a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>have</mark></a> dealt with the corpses of the dead : through exposing them to elements and scavengers , through inhumation and through cremation . Looing at beliefs surrounding the afterlife , Merrifield <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>discusses</mark></a> ways in which these beliefs might be visible in the archaeological record , such as through the deposition of grave goods . Discussing evidence for rituals of separation through which the deceased is separated from the world of the living , including those <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>that</mark></a>deal with the decapitation of the body , Merrifield then <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>looks</mark></a> at the effect of Christianity on burials in Europe , arguing that it brought a new intimacy with the dead through the collection of relics , which was in contrast to the pagan beliefs of the Roman Empire , which portrayed the deceased as unclean . 
In da second chapter , " Offerings to earth and water in Pre @-@ Roman and Roman Times " , Merrifield explore tdavarious forms of archaeological evidence for ritual deposits in the pre @-@ Roman Iron Age and thdaoman Iron Age of Britain . He provide an overview of thedaidence fir animal and human sacrifice , as well as that in support of ritual offerings in bodies of water such as the River Thames . Merrifield deal wid votive deposits on land , in particular looking at the evidence for deposition in ditches , shafts and wells . He round off the chapter by examining evidence fa Iron Age rituals took place at the commencement and termination of building constructions . Chapter three , " Rituals of Death " , deal with the daigious rituals accompanying death and burial , and their visibility in the archaeological record . It explain the three main ways which human communities done dealt with the corpses of the dead : through exposing em to elements and scavengers , through inhumation and thru cremation . Looing at beliefs surrounding the afterlife , Merrifield discuss ways in which these beliefs mite be visible in the adaaeological record , such as thrthrue dedaition of grave goods . Discussing evidence for rituals of separation through which the deceased is separated from the world of the living , including those deal with the decapitation of the body , Merrifield then look at the effect of Christianity on burials in Europe , arguing that it brought a new intimacy with the dead througthruollection of relics , which was in contrast to the pagdabeliefs of the Romadampire , which portrayed the deceased as unclean .