Mind Labs

The way we treat our dead tells us much about our attitude towards life, as it does about our belief in an afterlife. In ancient times, people were buried with objects befitting their rank; as if they were ordained to continue that role after death. Today, several hundred people have had their bodies frozen having placed such faith in science, in that they hope to be preserved until a cure for death is discovered. In this programme we’ll be looking at the treatment of Sheffield’s dead at the beginning of the 19th century and asking what this can tell us about the birth of this modern city.