Roger Luckhurst, a professor at the University of London, Birkbeck, delves into the intricate history of human burial practices and funerary traditions around the world in his latest book, “Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead” (published by Princeton University Press and Thames & Hudson in 2025). From ancient customs like placing coins in the mouths of the deceased for passage through the Styx to modern practices such as using AI to recreate a person’s presence, Luckhurst explores the profound impact of how we honor and remember the dead.
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Luckhurst found himself sitting in a 19th-century graveyard in London, where he discovered that many streets in the city were built on top of burial sites. This realization sparked his curiosity, leading him to research burial practices from different cultures and compile a comprehensive survey of global burial customs.
In his book, Luckhurst discusses how rituals surrounding death provide a cultural framework for mourning the deceased while also serving to prevent the living from being consumed by grief. He highlights the phenomenon of “dark tourism,” where tourists visit places like Tibet to witness sky burials or cliff cemeteries in Indonesia adorned with effigies.
One of the most intriguing chapters in the book, titled “Recruiting the Dead,” explores how burials are weaponized for political purposes. Luckhurst examines the case of Vladimir Lenin, whose body was displayed against his widow’s wishes to consolidate Joseph Stalin’s power in the Soviet Union. He also uncovers the shocking detail of a national cemetery in Zimbabwe shaped like an AK-47 rifle, symbolizing the country’s revolutionary heroes.
In concluding his exploration, Luckhurst reflects on the intricate relationship between the living and the dead, emphasizing that we are constantly living with our deceased loved ones. Whether in the intimacy of family connections or on a grand scale of collective mourning for mass tragedies, there is an opportunity to construct a meaningful future by honoring the memories of the departed.
“Graveyards” challenges the cultural taboo of separating the living from the dead, urging us to acknowledge the profound influence that the deceased continue to have on our lives. As Luckhurst aptly puts it, “In an old city like London, I am literally living on the dead.”
