| Abstract: |
The understanding of mortuary practices requires a methodology which recognizes the importance of both the position of the skeletal remains and the taphonomy of the cadaver. The chronology of articulations dislocated during the decomposition of the body serves as a basis for demonstrating the nature and evolution of burials. It is the aim of field anthropology to reconstruct the original position of the body, the arrangement of any pieces of clothing, ornament or other furnishings. Furthermore, it is the field anthropologist who must define the architecture of the tomb and the precise nature and circumstances of decomposition. This requires the reconstruction of the burial itself in terms of the conditions surrounding the body, e.g. if it was directly covered by soil or surrounded by effective space, in order to identify effects these contribute to the position of skeletal remains. In addition, we discuss the criteria for the identification of secondary burials, consecutive burials and re-burials in the same tomb and specific methods for the analysis of multiple and collective burials.
|
