Distinguishing Remains of Human Cremations from Burned Animal Bones

Abstract

Archaeological remains of human cremations, often consisting of a few calcined bone fragments unassociated with any other indicators of human mortuary behavior, are sometimes difficult to distinguish from mammalian remains representing ancient garbage. Although experimental and archaeological studies of human cremation may facilitate recognition of cremated or otherwise burned mammal bone, they do not provide the necessary criteria to distinguish cremation from other kinds of burning and, therefore, to recognize, immediately, a human cremation in archaeological context. Experiments were conducted to provide criteria for distinguishing the remains of cremated whole large mammals from intensively burned fresh, anhydrous, archaeological, boiled, and baked bones of large mammals. Results indicate that distinctive patterns of cracking, fracturing, and warping of calcined bone, and especially the absence of evidence of perimortem fracture, may alert the excavator to the possibility of a human cremation.     

Mortuary patterns in burial caves on Mangaia,Cook Islands

The behavioural, cultural, and political implications of archaeological human remains in non‐mortuary, possibly culinary, contexts requires that we understand the range of mortuary practices in a particular region. Although several rockshelter sites on Mangaia, Cook Islands have yielded burned, fragmentary human bones in earth ovens that seem to support archaeological models and ethnohistoric accounts of ritual sacrifice and cannibalism, the absence of data on the range of Mangaian mortuary patterns obscures these interpretations. We describe burial patterns based on 40 above‐ground interments representing at least 92 individuals in caves of Mangaia, Cook Islands, in order to begin to develop an island‐wide perspective on mortuary patterns. Sampling both pre‐ and post‐European contact sites we found that multiple interments dominate probable pre‐contact burials (73%, 19 of 26) and single interments dominate post‐contact contexts (80%, eight of ten burials), probably reflecting the influence of Christianity on mortuary ritual. Subadults were more frequent in all post‐contact contexts suggesting alternative burial places, probably church cemeteries, for adults. Burial cave remains are broadly consistent with ethnohistoric accounts of interment in caves, however, they also illustrate additional burial practices and differences between time periods, such as primary body position and the role of multiple‐individual interments, which are not discussed ethnohistorically. The mortuary practices in Mangaian burial caves differ from burials associated with marae and seem completely unrelated to the presence of highly fragmentary and burnt human remains in pre‐contact rockshelter middens elsewhere on the island. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chronological Reconstruction of Natfieh Tombs,Northern Jordan

Abstract

This research radiocarbon dates human teeth and bones sampled from seven tombs from the archaeological site of Natfieh, Northern Jordan. The small number of artifact fragments uncovered, looting and disruption of the tombs in antiquity and/or recent times, and the continuity between the Greek and Roman burial traditions and similarity in tomb architecture impede determining accurate dates and chronology of the tombs. This research aims to ascertain the archaeological dates and the chronological sequence of the tombs and the artifacts uncovered. Results show that the probable earliest use of these tombs was between 90 BC and AD 20, and their probable latest use was from AD 126–236. Most probably, at Natfieh new tombs spread northward and carving the tombs started in the lower rock layers and later in the upper layers.     

A Place to Rest Your (Burnt) Bones? Mortuary Houses in Early Anglo-Saxon England

This article presents a fresh interpretation of square and rectangular mortuary structures found in association with deposits of cremated material and cremation burials in a range of early Anglo-Saxon (fifth-/sixth-century AD) cemeteries across southern and eastern England. Responding to a recent argument that they could be traces of pyre structures, a range of ethnographic analogies are drawn upon, and the full-range of archaeological evidence is synthesized, to re-affirm and extend their interpretation as unburned mortuary structures. Three interleaving significances are proposed: (i) demarcating the burial place of specific individuals or groups from the rest of the cemetery population, (ii) operating as ‘columbaria’ for the above-ground storage of the cremated dead (i.e. not just to demarcate cremation burials), and (iii) providing key nodes of commemoration between funerals as the structures were built, used, repaired and eventually decayed within cemeteries. The article proposes that timber ‘mortuary houses’ reveal that groups in early Anglo-Saxon England perceived their cemeteries in relation to contemporary settlement architectures, with some groups constructing and maintaining miniaturized canopied buildings to store and display the cremated remains of the dead.     

BRINGING IN THE DEAD: BURIALS AND THE LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON KYTHERA IN THE SECOND PALACE PERIOD

Summary.   This article analyses the mortuary data of the 'Second Palace' period (c. 1700–1450 BC) on the Aegean island of Kythera. It proposes that the chamber tombs which were first introduced to the island in this period can offer potential insights into aspects of local-level social relations, especially at the central site of Kastri. This approach complements the broader cultural perspective that has usually been taken regarding these tombs, which have been viewed as indicators of Cretan cultural influence and, indeed, colonization. It is proposed that a strong horizontal in-group solidarity was being expressed by the tomb-using group at Kastri through spatial and diachronic uniformity in burial practices, and that this uniformity should be viewed at least partially as a response to local-level social agendas. The hypothesis is then explored that status identities were also being asserted in the burial sphere by at least some members of this group, through tomb location, the resources devoted to mortuary rituals and, perhaps, emphasis on lineage.     

重庆奉节赵家湾东汉墓发掘简报

2001年6月,武汉大学考古学系等对重庆市奉节县赵家湾八号墓进行了清理发掘。墓葬为刀把形,由甬道和墓室构成,出土随葬器物112件,主要为日用陶器、陶俑及车马器等,另外还出土有玻璃及数百枚铜钱。根据墓葬的形制及随葬器物,初步判定墓葬的年代为东汉早期。     

湖南省汩罗市高泉山人民路东周墓发掘简报

2007年2月上旬,湖南省汩罗市文物管理所在配合基建工程中,发掘了一座东周时期墓葬(M1)。从墓葬形制、随葬器物分析,该墓属楚墓。     

The ‘Semblance of Immortality'? Resinous Materials and Mortuary Rites in Roman Britain

There is increasing evidence for complexity in mortuary practices in Britain during the Roman period. One class of burials demonstrates an association between inhumation in stone sarcophagi or lead‐lined coffins, ‘plaster’ coatings, textile shrouds and natural resins. It has been suggested that this ‘package’ represents a deliberate attempt at body preservation. Fragments with a resinous appearance found in one such burial from Arrington, Cambridgeshire, UK were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The triterpenic compounds identified are biomarkers for the genus Pistacia and provide the first chemical evidence for an exotic resin in a mortuary context in Roman Britain.     

河北南皮芦庄子汉墓的性质

河北省南皮县芦庄子汉墓有较大面积的覆斗形封土,是一座一侧有墓道的"甲"字形土坑竖穴墓葬,墓穴内有大量积陶,砌有砖椁,砖椁内还可能有木椁。出土遗物包括铜礼器和其他铜器及玉璧、相关敛葬用玉等,其中的四件鎏金镶玉铜枕构件表明该墓应为夫妻同穴合葬墓。墓葬的时代为西汉晚期偏早或稍早阶段,等级上属列侯级别墓葬,墓主当为西汉临乐侯国的某一列侯及其夫人,很可能是西汉晚期的节侯刘万年与其夫人。该墓葬作为西汉晚期临乐侯刘万年与其夫人的同穴合葬墓,对汉代列侯墓葬尤其是西汉列侯墓葬的确认和研究具有一定的参考价值和学术意义。     

Birds and burials at Ajvide (Gotland,Sweden) and Zvejnieki (Latvia) about 8000–3900 BP

Animal bones in human burials may reveal aspects of the relationship between animals and humans. This article describes the roles of birds in mortuary practices and in the ideology of Stone Age northern Europe. Bird bones from two large burial sites, Middle Neolithic Ajvide (Gotland, Sweden) and Mesolithic and Neolithic Zvejnieki (Latvia) are investigated with osteological methods. Beads and pendants were fashioned from the wing bones of waterbirds, and used in the decoration of the body or the burial dress. The jay was found in three Neolithic burials at Zvejnieki, and it may have been a totem animal for the Middle Neolithic people at Zvejnieki, and its wings or feathers were presumably attached to dresses and costumes for the dead. Bird remains in burials at Ajvide, Zvejnieki and some other Stone Age cemeteries may indicate similar features in the way of perceiving birds, especially the possible symbolic roles of waterbirds and wings. The findings are discussed from the perspective of the cosmology of historical hunter–gatherer (and herding) groups in modern Russia.     

A Unique Case of Prone Position in the Primary Cremation Tomb 252 of Monte Sirai Necropolis (Carbonia,Sardinia, Italy)

A series of graves belonging to the Phoenician period were investigated after the campaign excavation of 2007 in the Phoenician‐Punic necropolis of Monte Sirai (Carbonia, Sardinia, Italy). One tomb in particular (labelled 252) is presented here because of its uniqueness. Tomb 252 contained the cremated remains of an individual, probably male, and comparison of the excavation records alongside reconstruction of the bone material itself makes clear that the individual was cremated in a prone position. It represents the first case of prone cremation reported in the literature. To investigate whether the temperature of the cremation was homogenous across the entire body, we have conducted a combined physical–chemical analysis using X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

辽宁阜新县辽代平原公主墓与梯子庙4号墓

平原公主墓为砖筑双室墓,由墓道、墓门、前室、左右耳室和主室等组成,在墓门门洞的正上方和墓道两侧墙壁上绘有壁画。出土有瓷器、金银器、铁器、铜器、玻璃器、墓志等遗物,年代下限为兴宗末年。梯子庙4号墓为砖筑单室墓,由墓道、墓门和主室组成,出有陶器、瓷器、铜器、铁器等遗物,年代为辽代中期。     

辽宁朝阳市姑营子辽代耿氏家族3、4号墓发掘简报

3号墓为砖砌单室墓,由墓道、天井、墓门、甬道、墓室等组成,出有陶器、瓷器、铁器等遗物。4号墓为砖砌仿木结构双室墓,墓室内仅余一合墓志及少量遗物。4号墓主为辽初汉姓贵族、曾任节度使的通事耿崇美及夫人耶律氏。两座墓的发掘对研究辽代兴中府汉姓贵族家族史及其联姻关系有重要意义。     

THE IRON AGE URNFIELD TRADITION OF SOUTHWESTERN JUTLAND,DENMARK

This study examines two urnfields, their development, burial rituals, grave goods and the cremated remains in a renewed analysis of the Danish Urnfield Tradition. The osteological investigation reveals a very high proportion of children's graves in these communal burial sites. Individual expression and demonstration of status are muted in burial rituals adhering to strict norms, although differences between age categories show through variations in the size of a burial monument. The use of CT scans and a detailed analysis of all artefacts provide evidence of the ritualized breaking of urns and the retrieval of bones from graves. Such retrieval of bones together with the layout and development of urnfields demonstrate the importance placed on the ancestors in the Early Pre-Roman Iron Age. The inconspicuous burials, together with the incorporation of all age categories, suggest that the focus of these burial communities is on a relational rather than individual identity.     

湖南长沙望城坡西汉渔阳墓发掘简报至正十一年铭青花云龙瓶

渔阳墓位于长沙市湘江西岸的咸嘉湖西侧,陵园现存面积约10000平方米。在墓的东、西、南面均有一个外藏坑,呈"品"字形。1993年,考古工作者对该墓进行了抢救性发掘。墓葬为带斜坡墓道的竖穴岩坑木椁墓,平面呈"甲"字形,由封土、墓道、墓坑、墓室四部分组成。虽经多次盗掘,但仍出土了大量随葬器物。其中漆器种类繁多,制作精美。该墓采用的是"题凑"葬制,而且多件漆器上有"渔阳"题记。墓主人可能是西汉早期汉皇室的一位公主,由于政治等方面的原因而嫁给长沙王。     

The effect of cremation on the study of trace elements

Cremation was a frequent practice during the Bronze and Iron Ages in Europe. The destruction caused by this rite has meant that there are few anthropological studies of this period and that the amount of information that has been obtained is limited. Most studies deal with the number of individuals and the temperature of cremation. At present, however, studies are under way to determine the possibility of carrying out analyses of trace elements on cremated individuals in order to determine their diet. The present study, carried out at a necropolis with two kinds of burial (S'Illot des Porros, Mallorca, Iron Age), presents new data regarding the diagenetic effects differentiating cremated from buried bones. The levels of Sr, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cu and Mg in the spongy and cortical tissue of 197 femurs are analysed. The results obtained at this necropolis demonstrate that only the levels of calcium and magnesium in the cortical tissue of cremated bones increase, so diagenesis acts in the same way in cremated and non-cremated bones in this necropolis.     

重庆晒网坝一座晋代墓葬的发掘

2002年秋,在重庆市万州区晒网坝村发掘了一批六朝时期墓葬,其中的六号墓保存较好,随葬器物较为丰富。六号墓共出土器物66件(套),瓷器55件,有碗、罐、盘口壶、鸡首壶等器形,根据瓷器特征,暂将该墓时代定为晋代。另外,墓中还出土了具有北方少数民族特征的金饰品。     

楚文化研究又一新成果--《新蔡葛陵楚墓》读后

河南新蔡葛陵楚墓,是近年来淮河流域考古中新发现的一座战国中期大型墓葬。其墓主人为平夜君成,是与楚王关系密切的重要封君。墓葬结构复杂,并有陵寝建筑遗存。出土有包括青铜器、玉器、漆木器和大量竹简在内的各类随葬品,还有人殉现象。在科学发掘和整理的基础上出版了《新蔡葛陵楚墓》一书,详细介绍和分析了考古资料所反映的楚国历史、葬俗、礼制、历法、手工工艺、书法艺术等诸多信息,是我国楚文化研究又一新成果。     

南京窑岗村30号孙吴墓发掘简报

南京窑岗村30号孙吴墓是一座典型的孙吴时期砖室墓,墓中出土了一批精美的随葬品,对研究南京地区六朝墓葬的分布和丧葬礼俗提供了重要的资料。     

A Mid Upper Palaeolithic Child Burial from Borsuka Cave (Southern Poland)

During the excavation in the Borsuka Cave site (southern Poland), extraordinary materials were obtained for the study of the Mid Upper Palaeolithic (MUP) settlement in the region. In layer VI, six deciduous teeth of a modern Homo sapiens infant were discovered together with 112 pendants made from the teeth of European elk and steppe wisent or aurochs. The teeth appear to belong to a 12‐ to 18‐month‐old child. The sex of the child cannot be determined. Diagnostic features of the teeth and the fact that they all represent the same developmental phase suggest that they belong to a single individual. In this paper, we put forward a number of alternative explanations for why only a child's teeth and numerous pendants were deposited in the late Pleistocene sediments of Borsuka Cave, for example, natural factors (carnivore activity), human habitation, existence of a pendant workshop in the vicinity of the cave and intentional burial. Although no traces of a burial pit were encountered, intentional burial, the oldest known from Poland, is indicated by the presence of human remains together with numerous ornaments and absence of ‘domestic’ finds, such as lithic cores, debitage and tools. An unusual presence of a larger number of pierced teeth of large herbivores in a child burial is noticeable among assorted mortuary practices recorded in MUP Central Europe. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.