Excavations In Cemetery Research Articles

Nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg Time of the Volga-Don Region According to Anthropology Data.

Introduction. The article presents the results of an anthropological study of the nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg period of the Volga-Don region, known from written and archaeological sources. Material and methods. To carry out the analysis, both published materials and new ones studied by the author were used. The craniological series included data on 55 skulls – 38 male and 17 female. The new material is represented by skulls obtained from excavations of cemeteries in the Volgograd region, for 23 skulls. The anthropological composition, intragroup structure, and ethnogenetic connections were determined by the methods of simple and multivariate statistics. Analysis and discussion. The arithmetic mean values of the male and female craniological series demonstrated a racially mixed Caucasoid-Mongoloid complex, components of which are determined in men by II and in women by both I and II principal components. In addition, in the male series I, the main component performs the function of size and demarcates the skulls with a massive and gracile structure of the brain and facial regions. The multiple discriminant analysis carried out in order to identify ethnogenetic connections showed the greatest similarity of a series of nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg period both with their predecessors, the population of the Khazar period, and with groups of Cuman and Golden Horde nomads. The Turkic origin of the study group demonstrates connections with the synchronous populations of Southern Siberia and Kazakhstan. Conclusions. The Oghuz-Pecheneg people exhibited a racially heterogeneous anthropological composition, combining Mongoloid and Caucasoid components. This is a direct consequence of their origin. Apparently, the nomads of the Volga-Don region of the studied time, after its development, could include in their composition the nomadic groups of the previous Khazar time and form the composition of both the urban and nomadic population of the Golden Horde.

Grave communications: how an understanding of gravedigging practices informs post-medieval cemetery excavations and interpretations

SUMMARY: This paper examines the contemporary role of the gravedigger, their day-to-day working practices, and how these tasks can impact the archaeological record. The study was undertaken through conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 practising and recently retired gravediggers from in and around Bristol. These interviews revealed that gravediggers not only dig graves but also facilitate funerals, bury coffins, reopen graves for subsequent burials, exhume human remains and curate material culture both within the graves and around the grave plots. The gravediggers also perform important emotional labour in their interactions with the dead and with their families. This evidence demonstrates that gravediggers heavily impact the archaeological record in cemetery contexts and play an important part in the social organisation around funerary practices in the British Isles. Although this role has likely changed considerably over time, these interviews still demonstrate that present-day archaeologists must consider the role and impact of gravediggers when analysing post-medieval cemetery landscapes. In addition, this information can act as guidance for future archaeologists when excavating cemetery sites and churchyards.

Pronkjewails in verre oorden: Gronings onderzoek naar de dood in het oostelijk Middellandse Zeegebied

Pronkjewails in distant places: Mortuary studies in the eastern Mediterranean by the GIA. The Greek Archaeology research group of the GIA specializes in mortuary archaeology, studying sites in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East that date from the Bronze Age through to the Late Roman period. Our methodology includes theoretical approaches; cemetery excavations; the analysis of legacy data; studies of grave architecture, tombstones and grave goods; osteological analyses; digitization of datasets and digital applications; and DNA analysis, as well as isotopic and biomolecular studies, and we are focused on performing integrated studies with thorough contextual analyses. Our central question is how people dealt with death and what their funerary remains tell us about their lives and their world. Together with our local and international network of researchers and laboratories, our staff and students aim to perform innovative research, reach out to the public, and provide diverse perspectives on life and death in the ancient eastern Mediterranean.

The newly discovered bronze age site of Koken: Merging micro-regions with major study zones in the high steppes of Kazakhstan

Bronze Age eastern Kazakhstan sat at the intersection of two distinct cultural interaction spheres: the Eurasian Steppe and the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor. Despite its importance, the region has not been extensively researched by archaeologists. Recent fieldwork in the Kokentau Mountains in eastern Kazakhstan has uncovered a multi-period archaeological sequence, presenting an opportunity to document this crucial area in detail. We present preliminary data obtained from initial settlement and cemetery excavations at the site of Koken that contribute to ongoing research about economy and interaction in the Eurasian Bronze Age. The site's long occupational history, supported by radiocarbon dates, reveals shifting cultural patterns stretching from the Mesolithic to the historical period. Current and future research in the Kokentau Mountains can clarify the timing and local trajectories of Bronze Age economic and cultural transitions through the integration of evidence from ritual, craft production, and habitation contexts at a resolution rare for this region and time period.

Transformations of Metal Supply during the Bronze Age in the Carpathian Basin

This paper presents recent research questions which have been raised and methods which have been used in the study of Bronze Age metallurgy in connection with available natural resources (ores) in and around the Carpathian Basin. This topic fits in the most current trends in the research on European prehistoric archaeology. Given the lack of written sources, copper and bronze artifacts discovered in settlement and cemetery excavations and prehistoric mining sites provide the primary sources on which the studies in question are based. The aim of compositional and isotope analysis of copper and tin ores, metal tools, ornaments, and weapons is to determine the provenience of the raw materials and further an understanding of the chaine operatiore of prehistoric metal production. The Momentum Mobility Research Group of the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities studies these metal artifacts using archaeological and scientific methods. It has focused on the first thousand years of the Bronze Age (2500–1500 BC). Multidisciplinary research include non-destructive XRF, PGAA (promptgamma activation), TOF-ND (time-of-flight neutron diffraction) analyses and neutron radiography, as well as destructive methods, e.g. metal sampling for compositional and lead isotope testing, alongside archaeological analysis. Microstructure studies are also efficient methods for determining the raw material and production techniques. The results suggest the use of regional ore sources and interregional connections, as well as several transformations in the exchange network of the prehistoric communities living in the Carpathian Basin.

Post-mortem gross composition changes and differential weathering of immature and mature bone in an experimental burial environment

In addition to differential culture-specific burial practices, the relative absence of juvenile skeletal remains in historic cemetery excavations has been explained by a comparatively rapid breakdown of immature bone. While the idea of differing breakdown rates between immature and mature bone is widely accepted, few experiments have provided evidence to support it.This study uses a porcine model to explore the role of bone maturity with regards to the overall susceptibility of the skeleton to physical and compositional degradation in an experimental buried environment. Samples (n = 104) were mechanically defleshed and left to degrade in a climate-controlled greenhouse environment, buried 10 cm below the soil surface. Every month, for the span of 12 months, 4 immature and 4 mature bones were collected. Weight loss on ignition analysis was performed to determine changes in the composition of bone, and bone weathering analysis was carried out to quantify the physical breakdown of bone.The results of this study indicate that in the first year after skeletonization of buried skeletal remains the compositional and physical breakdown of immature bones differ significantly from the changes seen in their mature bone counterparts. Immature bones seem more susceptible to compositional changes, but less affected by physical surface weathering. How these early differences in degradation affect the long-term survival of bone material and its post-depositional history in archaeological contexts, however, requires a longer study interval.

An archaeothanatological approach to the study of Minoan funerary practices: Case-studies from the Early and Middle Minoan cemetery at Sissi, Crete

Our understanding of Minoan funerary practices in the Early and Middle Bronze Age on Crete was until recently to a large degree informed by the excavations of cemeteries that took place early in the 20th century. However, the aforementioned excavations are characterized by a significant lack of detailed archaeological data regarding the precise positions of osteological remains and the actual treatment of the body. The excavation of the Early Minoan II–Middle Minoan II cemetery at Sissi (ca. 2650–1720 b.c.) focused on a more complete characterization of the complexity and variation in Minoan funerary practices. Using archaeothanatology and involving field anthropologists from the first stages of excavation, precise and reliable interment sequences and (successive) treatments of the bodies were reconstructed. The result is a more nuanced understanding of primary and secondary burials and in turn contemporary Minoan society.

The archaeology of American cemeteries and gravemarkers

Gravestones, cemeteries, and memorial markers offer fixed points in time to examine Americans' changing attitudes toward death and dying. In tracing the evolution of commemorative practices from the seventeenth century to the present, Sherene Baugher and Richard Veit offer insights into our transformation from a preindustrial and agricultural to an industrial, capitalist country. Paying particular attention to populations often overlooked in the historical record--African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrant groups--the authors also address the legal, logistical, and ethical issues that confront field researchers who conduct cemetery excavations. Baugher and Veit reveal how gender, race, ethnicity, and class have shaped the cultural landscapes of burial grounds and summarize knowledge gleaned from the archaeological study of human remains and the material goods interred with the deceased. From the practices of historic period Native American groups to elite mausoleums, and from almshouse mass graves to the rise in popularity of green burials today, The Archaeology of Cemeteries and Gravemarkers provides an overview of the many facets of this fascinating topic.

The Peterson Ranch Site (41HS253), A Late 17th to Early 18th Century Ancestral Caddo Cemetery in the Little Cypress Creek Basin, Harrison County, Texas

The Peterson Ranch site (41HS253) is a late 17th to early 18th century Caddo cemetery in the Little Cypress Creek basin in the East Texas Pineywoods. The cemetery, on Gray’s Creek, was found and excavated in 1962 by a number of collectors from the Marshall, Texas, area. In 1963 the cemetery area was destroyed by the construction of an oil well pad. Most of the collectors kept cursory notes on their excavations at the site, which consisted of plan maps showing the orientation of the burial pits, the human remains in the graves, and the location and kinds of some of the funerary offerings placed in the grave to accompany the deceased to the House of Death in the Sky. Fray Casanas commented in 1691 that the Caddo buried “their dead with all their arms and utensils which each possesses.” The kinds of items placed in Caddo burials, especially the vessels—since they are by far the most common burial offerings—can provide unique insights into how different Caddo groups treated the dead, and what such differences may mean regarding diverse view on life and death among contemporaneous Caddo groups. The information on the cemetery excavations and burial offerings from the Peterson Ranch site has been reconstructed from notes and drawings on file at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin (TARL). To my knowledge, the funerary offerings from the burials at the site have not been documented by a professional archaeologist, and it is presently unknown what the current provenience(s) of the collections are.

The archaeology of American cities

Gravestones, cemeteries, and memorial markers offer fixed points in time to examine Americans' changing attitudes toward death and dying. In tracing the evolution of commemorative practices from the seventeenth century to the present, Sherene Baugher and Richard Veit offer insights into our transformation from a preindustrial and agricultural to an industrial, capitalist country. Paying particular attention to populations often overlooked in the historical record, African Americans, Native Americans, and im--migrant groups, the authors also address the legal, logistical, and ethical issues that confront field researchers who conduct cemetery excavations. Baugher and Veit reveal how gender, race, ethnicity, and class have shaped the cultural landscapes of burial grounds. From the practices of historic period Native American groups to elite mausoleums, and from alms-house mass graves to the rise in popularity of green burials today, the authors provide an overview of the many facets of this fascinating topic.

Gloucester: The Wotton Cemetery Excavations, 2002

AbstractThe report summarises results from an excavation site within the Wotton cemetery on the outskirts of Gloucester. A total of 20 cremations and 54 inhumations were excavated and are the subject of a detailed human bone report. The earliest cremation urns were of pre-Flavian date and could be paralleled by pots from the Kingsholm fortress. Cremation rite continued into the early second century, but was then replaced by inhumation burials. These dated from the later first/early second century till the fourth century. Part of a ditched enclosure, perhaps with an earlier precursor, was laid out in the second century and survived, respected by burials, into the later Roman period. The layout of this part of the Wotton cemetery is not in the orderly rows expected for urban burial in the province and this circumstance is compared both with other urban cemeteries and with practices known on rural sites. Analysis of the human bone suggested working people were buried in this part of the cemetery. At least one of the burials seems likely to have been a soldier and another may have been a person of importance very late in the life of the town.

THE SOCIAL STATUS OF WOMEN IN LATVIA IN THE 7TH–13TH CENTURIES, IN THE LIGHT OF PALAEODEMOGRAPHIC DATA; pp. 56–71

Introduction In Latvia, somewhat differently to western Europe, the Iron Age refers to the period 500 BC-1200 AD. This was a new phase of historical development. Iron axes, ploughshares, mattocks, sickles and scythes made possible the rapid development of agriculture and animal husbandry; the smelting and smithing of iron promoted the development of crafts and exchange, as well as weaponry and the art of war. This rapid economic development was accompanied by important changes in social relations, expressed in terms of social and material stratification, the emergence of leaders and the development of military retinues (Vasks et al. 1997). Women's social status and role in Middle and Late Iron Age society in Latvia has been analysed by researchers working in various fields. Back in 1921, historian Arturs Svabe, whose findings were based mainly on the study of folklore, strove to reconstruct the social structure of Early Medieval Latvia. Svabe recognises that women's rights and duties in the kin group and family were dependent on inheritance rights, in accordance with which land could be inherited only by sons. Daughters inherited part of the father's moveable property, most commonly a dowry in the form of money. In addition to this, the dowry provided by the mother was also important: this included livestock, clothes, furniture and ornaments (Svabe 1921). Women's rights to property and inheritance have been studied in detail by historian Vija Stikane, based on Germanic, Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Slavic common law, recorded mainly in the 9th-13th century, as well as Couronian and Latgallian common law, evidence of which is preserved in 16th-17th century records, in conjunction with folklore and ethnographic material. In accordance with these sources, women were subject to guardianship; they had no voting rights in assemblies or rights to own property. On the other hand, women also had fewer duties: they did not take part in war and did not pay dues. The woman's property-owning guardian--the father, husband, elder brother, uncle or sons--assumed the public duties and rights connected with inheritance in the her place (Stikane 1997). Archaeologist Andris Sne has analysed the question of women's social status in the societies of eastern Latvia in the 7th-12th centuries, utilising the archaeological material from pre-Christian cemeteries. Focussing mainly on the proportion of female and male burials among inhumations and cremations, and on the artefacts and ornaments found in the graves (Fig. 1), he tries to assess the opportunities open to women for playing a more important role in the society of their day (Sne 2003). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] The objective of this paper is to provide an insight into women's social role and living conditions in Iron Age society in Latvia, based on the palaeodemographic data obtainable from osteological material recovered in the course of cemetery excavations. Material and methods Palaeodemographic analysis could be undertaken on material from the cemetery of Lejasbiteni, completely excavated in 1961-1964 by V. Urtans and dated to the 3rd-10th centuries AD. In the 3rd-5th century, the dead were buried in collective barrows, and later in flat graves around the barrows. The cemetery was used more intensively from the 7th century onwards, something that has been explained in terms of population increase (Urtans 1965). Altogether, 459 burials were found in the territory of the cemetery. Sex and age could be determined for 188 (41%) of the 7th-10th century inhumations. The second site chosen for study was the 10th-13th century Liv cemetery of Salaspils Laukskola, where 610 burials were excavated by V. Ginters (1936-1937) and A. Zarina (1967-1975). Three forms of burial were observed at the cemetery: 425 inhumations, 165 cremations and 20 symbolic burials (Zarina 2006a). In this case, it was possible to compare demographic statistics for inhumations and cremations from the same cemetery. …

DMP V: Investigations in 2009 of Cemeteries and Related Sites on the West Side of the Taqallit Promontory

AbstractThe ‘Burials and Identity’ team of the Desert Migrations Project carried out two main excavations in the 2009 season, at the monumental Garamantian cemeteries of TAG001 and TAG012, by the Taqallit headland. In addition, a detailed survey was made of cemeteries and other sites on the west side of the Taqallit headland, to set the two main cemetery excavations in context. A total of over 2,100 individual burials was recorded in this small area of a few square kilometres. This cemetery survey was combined with further research on the well-preserved foggara systems in this area, which originate at the escarpment among the cemeteries and run in a north-westerly direction towards the valley centre, where some additional Garamantian settlement sites were also located. The foggara research also involved excavation at four locations to try to elucidate issues relating to the dating of these.A total of 22 burials was investigated at TAG001, an imposing cemetery of stone-built stepped tombs that had been badly damaged by illegal bulldozing in the 1990s. Although these had been subjected to robbing at some point in the past, many preserved considerable parts of the skeletons buried within and some surprisingly complete artifact groups. Of particular importance are a series of Garamantian necklaces in ostrich eggshell, carnelian and glass beads, which we were able to lift in perfect sequence and restring. At TAG012, about 2 km north of the Taqallit headland, we excavated an area of a mudbrick cemetery, exposing 12 square/rectangular tombs. Two further burials were excavated at the dispersed cemetery TAG006, in both cases involving tombs that had an interesting stratigraphical relationship with foggara spoil mounds.

The Quaker Burying Ground in Alexandria, Virginia: A Study of Burial Practices of the Religious Society of Friends

The values of humility and simplicity are two central tenets of the members of the Religious Society of Friends that set them apart from the rest of society. Adherence to these tenets by Alexandria Quakers living in the 18th and 19th centuries is evidenced in the archaeological investigation of the old Quaker Burying Ground in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. In preparation for the construction of a library addition on the cemetery property, City of Alexandria archaeologists conducted excavations in 1993 to 1995 and identified 159 burial features, 66 of which were excavated. Although preservation of the remains was poor, information on interment practices, coffin types, burial goods, and health was recovered. Analysis of the Quaker Burying Ground data and comparisons with other historical cemetery excavations suggest that Alexandria’s Quaker community largely rejected the ostentatious burial rituals, known as the “beautification of death” movement, of the dominant culture.

Archaeological fieldwork on Norfolk Island

Exploratory excavations in Cemetery, Emily and Slaughter Bays in search of a prehistoric settlement site are outlined, along with small scale researches elsewhere on Norfolk Island and on adjacent islands. The archaeological excavations at the settlement site discovered in Emily Bay are described in detail and the taphonomy of the site discussed.

Fractures in medieval Scotland.

The prevalence of fractures in medieval Scotland is assessed, particular attention being given to excavations of cemeteries beside three Carmelite cemeteries, at Aberdeen, Perth and Linlithgow, and another one at Whithorn Abbey. In the friaries the prevalence of fractures was 7.6% and in Whithorn it was 5.0%. These figures are comparable with an estimated prevalence of 7.2% for individuals between 0 and 65 years in present day Scotland. Males were more at risk of fractures than females, but a small group from both genders had been struck on the head by weapons. A study from a rural cemetery in England indicates that both male and female peasants had a much higher risk of fractures than their urban counterparts.

Anaemia in the Ancient Indus Valley

The Harappan, or Indus Valley, civilization is considered by many to be among the earliest and most developed of ancient civilizations, with features such as a highly specialized and functionally integrated economy, centralized bureaucratic institutions and a large population base. Two of 29 crania recovered during the most recent cemetery excavations at Harappa display cranial lesions of porotic hyperostosis, suggestive of chronic anaemia. No lesions consistent with the effects of genetic anaemias were exhibited by any of the 92 individuals for which postcranial remains were preserved, however, suggesting that an acquired iron deficiency is the most likely diagnosis. This low prevalence of anaemia may be linked to a good nutritional base in a diverse ecological setting, and few gastrointestinal and other infections due to high standards of personal and community hygiene. A genetic anaemia may be responsible for an apparent higher frequency of porotic hyperostosis at Mohenjo-Daro, a Harappan site that is located in a different environmental zone, but the small samples available for these and other South Asian sites render these conclusions tentative. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol., 7: 115–123 (1997) No. of Figures: 2. No. of Tables: 1. No. of

Archéologie des Xiongnu en Russie : Nouvelles découvertes et quelques problèmes

The Xiongnu (Eastern Huns) developed their empire after the late third century BC in Transbaikalia. Excavations in Buriatia by A. Davydova and S. Minaev at the Xiongnu sites of Ivolga, Dureny-1 and 2 and the cemetery of Derestuy are reported. A special study is devoted to the bronze belt ornaments of the tombs of Derestuy. They depict fighting scenes between animals and/or mythical beings in Ordos style and are connected to the social hierarchy of their bearers. The permanent settlements are seen as "proto-cities". The Xiongnu performed agriculture and craft activities. Analyses of Chinese sources as well as archaeology leads to the conclusion that such cities were necessary for the maintaining of an Empire in the steppe zone, contrary to the strict nomadic theory. A classification of the burial types is made that differentiates early Xiongnu tombs and later elite monumental burials, influenced by Han China, and surrounded by poor sepultures with human sacrifices of non-Xiongnu individuals. In opposition with the classical Chinese sources locating the "proto-Xiongnu" in the Ordos, the Author recognizes them in the material found in the excavations of cemeteries, South and South-West of Manchuria.

Site conservation during excavation: stabilization and consolidation of Roman funerary monuments in Carthage

Foreign archaeological excavations in North Africa and the Middle East are beginning to include architectural or site conservators. The site conservation activities during the Yasmina cemetery excavations in the summers of 1994-95 illustrate how the presence of an architectural conservator, carrying out timely consolidation treatments using lime-based hydraulic grouts and mortar repairs on masonry, wall plaster and stucco decoration, insured the safe excavation and future preservation of several Roman funerary monuments, two of which had been severely damaged in antiquity by an earthquake. Some of the monuments had been partially uncovered in the early 1980s, and were ‘temporarily’ protected with gauze facings and plaster edging repairs before reburial. These emergency treatments, in particular the facings, were revealed to be neither necessary nor easily reversible. Site protection between excavation seasons is discussed. In this case, the archaeologist chose to construct temporary brick structures around the monuments, rather than backfill with soil, due to cost and time constraints. This option was not very successful, especially in preventing crystallization of salts on the wall plaster surfaces. Although recourse was then made to poulticing as an alternative preventive measure against salt damage, backfilling with soil remains the best technique for site protection between seasons unless methods that are less labor-intensive can be found.

Sancton I Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Excavations Carried Out Between 1976 and 1980

This report outlines the results of excavations carried out at Sancton I (Humberside, formerly East Riding, Yorkshire), the most northerly of a group of large, well-known Anglo-Saxon cremation cemeteries in eastern England. The excavations, undertaken by N. M. Reynolds1 for the then Department of Environment (now English Heritage), between 1976–80, were designed to assess damage to the site by ploughing and to try to determine the extent and limits of the cemetery. The former objective was achieved all too clearly in that the area of the cemetery investigated had been severely affected by soil disturbances. Many of the cremations had either been totally destroyed or badly damaged. In all, c. 90–95 in situ cremations were recorded and one inhumation. Despite the drawbacks the analysis of the material recovered, particularly the human and animal bone, has provided valuable information about the site which shows some remarkable similarities to the roughly contemporary cremation cemetery at Spong Hill, Norfolk.