The Revival of Prehistoric Burial Practices: Three Archaeological Experiments

Abstract

The article presents the results of three burial experiments, carried out in 2005, the aim of which was to attempt to understand what exactly hap- pens to a physical body after death in different environments. The experiments were simulations of an open air burial, a stone cist burial and a cremation, for which the dead bodies of a calf and pigs were used. Next to technical documen- tation, the emotions and impressions of the experiment participants during the observations of body decomposition and the cremation process were recorded. The authors suggest that a cognitive approach to burial experiments could offer us an alternative view to understanding rituals and interpreting prehistoric burials. Bystanders often find it amazing how archaeologists constantly aspire to re- construct societies consisting of complex human relationships and versatile behavioural patterns on the basis of mute artefacts. The nature of funerary practices, ritual systems, Weltanschauung and religion is surmised on the ba- sis of the structure of burial places, extant skeletons and grave goods. In addi- tion to analysing the funerary rituals and religion, burial material has been employed in researching the clothing, weaponry, and other mundane problems of the everyday life. In fact, archaeology has few means of its own for making interpretations. It is impossible to observe objects in the process of creation or use and there is nobody to ask from how, why and for which reason have cer- tain objects been created or used. This is why archaeologists have relied on theories posed by anthropologists, sociologists, theologians, and other schol- ars of various fields which study modern living societies. The ambiguity of selection criteria, however, renders the popularity of certain theories and the adaptation of theories rather arbitrary. In scholarly research of prehistory, authors are increasingly favouring ex- perimental archaeology as a method for defining ways of interpretations. Ex- perimental archaeology enables scholars to arrive at an understanding through