Introduction to A Global History of Execution and the Criminal Corpse

This is a chapter from A Global History of Execution and the Criminal Corpse edited by Richard Ward. This chapter is available open access under a CC BY license.


Capital punishment is an historical universal it has been practiced at some point in the history of virtually all known societies and places. That is not to say, however, that it is an historical constant the use, form, function and meaning of execution has varied greatly across different historical contexts. This is likewise true for an important although relatively neglected aspect of capital punishment: the fate of the criminal body after execution. This chapter is an introduction to the volume.