Funerary Practices Research Articles

The final plague outbreak in Scotland 1644-1649: Historical, archaeological, and genetic evidence.

This paper has several aims: to determine if Yersinia pestis was the causative agent in the last Scottish plague outbreak in the mid-17th century; map the geographic spread of the epidemic and isolate potential contributing factors to its spread and severity; and examine funerary behaviours in the context of a serious plague epidemic in early modern Scotland. Results confirm the presence of Y. pestis in individuals associated with a mid-17th century plague pit in Aberdeen. This is the first time this pathogen has been identified in an archaeological sample from Scotland. The geographic spread of the plague from 1644 through to 1649 is generally, with some key exceptions, restricted to the central lowlands of Scotland. The role of administrative responses to the epidemic in managing its spread and distribution is unclear. Finally, normative funerary practices tended to co-exist with mass burial scenarios. In conclusion, the distribution of the epidemic is arguably a function of population density/distribution, transportation networks, and the chaos associated with the concurrent civil war. Administrative responses to the epidemic likely had a variable, albeit limited, effect in the central lowlands. More peripheral cities, such as Aberdeen, while also employing sophisticated plague prevention measures, were perhaps initially spared simply due to their distance from the central plague belt. It is unclear if a general fear of the dead and contracting the Pest from plague victims can be used to characterise mid-17th century Scottish public opinion. Mass burial appears to have been a practical approach to the logistical problems mass mortality presented, while many instances of normative burial treatment can also be seen.

New insights into the funeral practices of the Vučedol culture from the example of Grave no. 5, Vučedol – Cornfield Streim site

Recent archaeological excavations of the Vučedol site at the Cornfield Streim were carried out in the period from 2012 to 2021. Most of the excavated objects belong to the settlement of the Classical phase (2900–2630 BC) of the Vučedol culture. The focus of this paper is on the analysis of Grave 5 within the Vučedol settlement complex and its role and meaning in the life and funeral practices of the Vučedol culture. Anthropological analysis will show the biological features of the Vučedol population and of the sample found only at the Vučedol site.

Has Christianity Lessened the Gap between the Rich and the Poor in Funeral Practices? A Study of the Lai Culture

Has Christianity Lessened the Gap between the Rich and the Poor in Funeral Practices? A Study of the Lai Culture

Barriers and Facilitators Towards Deceased Organ Donation: A Qualitative Study Among Three Major Religious Groups in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India.

This study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators of the public toward deceased organ donation in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India, from three major religious groups, Hinduism, Islamism, and Christianity. Twenty-five focus groups were conducted (n = 87) stratified by study region, religion, sex, and age. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The results revealed that individuals were primarily willing to donate their organs. However, their religious views regarding death, after-life beliefs, funeral ritual practices, and lack of knowledge regarding their religion's position toward deceased organ donation created tension and ambiguity in the decision-making. However, younger age groups (18-30years) appeared more open and positive toward deceased organ donation. The conclusion demands a clear need for religious leaders and stakeholders to address theirreligion's stance, which creates tension and ambiguity in any uncertainties surrounding cultural and religious-based views among the Indian population.

The BIAD Standards: Recommendations for Archaeological Data Publication and Insights From the Big Interdisciplinary Archaeological Database

Abstract This article presents a series of recommendations for the publication of archaeological data, to improve their usability. These 12 recommendations were formulated by archaeological data experts who mined thousands of publications for different data types (including funerary practices, accelerator mass spectrometry dating, stable isotopes, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany and pathologies) during the initial construction of the Big Interdisciplinary Archaeological Database (BIAD). We also include data harmonisation vocabularies utilised for the integration of data from different recording systems. The case studies we cite to illustrate the recommendations are grounded in examples from the published literature and are presented in a problem/solution format. Though practically oriented towards the facilitation of efficient databasing, these recommendations – which we refer to as the BIAD Standards – are broadly applicable by those who want to extract scientific data from archaeological information, those who work with a specific region or theoretical focus and journal editors and manuscript authors. We anticipate that the use of the BIAD Standards will increase the usability, visibility, interoperability and longevity of published data and also increase the citations of those publications from which data were mined. The Standards will also help frame a unified foundation to support the continued integration of the natural sciences with archaeological research in the future.

Exploring the Rational and Supernatural: Wang Chong’s Critical Analysis of Ghosts and Deities in Han Dynasty Customs

This paper examines the critical perspectives of scholars during the Han Dynasty on customs and beliefs related to ghosts and deities. Focusing on Wang Chong as an example, it explores the naturalistic explanations of life and death, the concept of ghosts and deities, and the associated customs of funerals, sacrifices, and taboos. Wang Chong’s criticisms focused on the core ideologies that underpinned funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos and attempted to undermine the essence of these traditional customs. By reinterpreting funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos from a ritualistic perspective that emphasized the social function rather than their supernatural implications, Wang Chong aimed to reconcile local tradition with rationality and promote a more profound understanding of the world. His approach, though complex and at times seemingly contradictory, holds an important position among the intellectual critiques of customs and beliefs during the Han Dynasty, and it sheds light on the challenges faced by ancient Chinese scholars in navigating the intersections between rationality, morality, and religion.

Victim of an armed conflict?

During rescue excavations at a rural cemetery in Dolany (NW Bohemia) dating to the 11th-12th century, the skeleton of a young male featuring numerous wounds (n=10) of perimortem sharp force trauma was excavated. Nine of the injuries were localised to the postcranial skeleton and one to the skull. An analysis and interpretation of the wounds showed that at least eight blows were inflicted with a slashing weapon, which could have directly contributed to his death. The observed pattern is most consistent with injuries inflicted during armed conflict. Based on historical sources, it is known that there was no warfare in the immediate vicinity of Dolany during the period under review. Therefore, it has been suggested that the male may have been the victim of a fight or battle, and his body was transported and buried in the place where he probably came from. The discovery provides new information on the funerary practices of victims of early medieval armed conflicts in Bohemia.

Transitional Home in Perspective: A Critical Overview of Burial Practices and Grave Construction among the Hausa of Northern Nigeria

Throughout history, the Hausa people of Northern Nigeria have viewed death as a transition from one form of existence to another. This belief underscores the importance of constructing elaborate structures to house their dead, providing for their needs during their 'everlasting sleep,' which is believed to last for centuries or even millennia. The deceased were often interred with various goods, signifying their social status within the community. The advent of Islam introduced clear and uniform guidelines for the disposal of the dead and other funeral practices. However, significant personalities in society continue to have their 'transitional homes' elaborately built. These 'transitional homes' are well-maintained, featuring plants and trees, and receiving regular upkeep. They are considered an integral part of the human community. This paper examines the belief system, funeral practices, and grave construction among the Hausa people to understand how these elements influence the conception of a 'transitional home' for the dead. The study draws on extensive literature reviews, observations, and discussions with cemetery custodians. This approach aims to illuminate the notion that transitional homes are seen as part of the human community, necessitating construction, frequent visits, protection, and care.

Ancient DNA sheds light on the funerary practices of late Neolithic collective burial in southern France.

The Aven de la Boucle (Corconne, Gard, southern France) is a karst shaft used as a collective burial between 3600 and 2800 cal BCE. The site encompasses the skeletal remains of approximately 75 individuals comprising a large majority of adult individuals, represented by scattered and commingled remains. To date, few studies have explored the potential of ancient DNA to tackle the documentation of Neolithic collective burials, and the funerary selection rules within such structures remain largely debated. In this study, we combine genomic analysis of 37 individuals with archaeo-anthropological data and Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates. Through this multidisciplinary approach, we aim to characterize the identity of the deceased and their relationships, as well as untangle the genetic diversity and funerary dynamics of this community. Genomic results identify 76% of male Neolithic individuals, suggesting a marked sex-biased selection. Available data emphasize the importance of biological relatedness and a male-mediated transmission of social status, as the affiliation to a specific male-lineage appears as a preponderant selection factor. The genomic results argue in favour of 'continuous' deposits between 3600 and 2800 BCE, carried out by the same community, despite cultural changes reflected by the ceramic material.

God, love, and death of Trunyan Village

Backgrund: Trunyan Village is a traditional village on the shores of Lake Batur in Bali, Indonesia. The village has unique funeral traditions and religious beliefs. The "Death Penalty Society'' is a specialized burial system where bodies are placed on the ground and surrounded by bamboo. The adore and fondness we appear to others can moreover bring meaning and bliss to our lives, indeed as we persevere melancholy and loss. It is critical to keep in mind that seeing God, adoration and passing are intensely impacted by one's culture, religion, traditions and individual views. Method: The method used is qualitative content analysis, interpreted using Goffman's Framing theory. This approach examines how structured narratives in documents and previous research about Trunyan Village influence perceptions of god, love, and death. Findings: In the context of Trunyan Village, the concepts of God, love and death can have unique meanings and are influenced by local traditions and beliefs..God and love from Trunyan village can be seen in their family relationships with the living and the dead, as they still believe in their ancestors..The love and death of the Terunyan people can be seen from their very unique funeral practices, where they say that the corpse or human body that has died will not emit odour and by doing 'mepasah' is the only way for humans to get a good place in the afterlife..Why there is no ngaben tradition in Trunyan, only ‘mapasah and mendem sawa’, is because their culture and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, and their understanding of the funeral process is better than the ngaben tradition. Conclusion: Back to the traditions and culture that influence why Trunyan village prefers to carry out 'mepasah' and 'mendem sawa' funerals. It can be concluded that the funeral tradition of mepasah or mendem sawa carried out in Trunyan village is a tradition carried out from generation to generation from their ancestors, which is a funeral activity that thinks about the concept of humanity where they have an understanding that if the human body has died it will not smell and with the taru menyan tree that grows in the setra or grave that protects the corpse from pungent odours and by covering the corpse with bamboo to protect it from wild animals. Novelty/Originality in this Study: Through qualitative content analysis and Goffman's Framing theory, this study explores the meaning of God, love, and death in the context of local traditions. The proposed model includes a digital interactive platform and mobile application to preserve and disseminate knowledge about these cultural practices.

Exploring gender norms in Neolithic Northern China: A GIS analysis of the Jiangzhai site

This study employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques to analyze the Jiangzhai site, a significant Neolithic settlement in northern China. Our aim is to challenge existing biases in gender interpretations of this and similar sites. By examining the distribution of various types of burial goods across different areas of the cemetery, we reveal significant spatial heterogeneity, indicating that mortuary practices at Jiangzhai should not be considered a unified entity. Our findings highlight no universal correlation between gender and grave good distribution: various types of goods are present in both male and female graves. However, in certain areas of the cemetery, specific types of production tools exhibit clear gender preferences. This suggests that gender roles within the Jiangzhai community were flexible and gender was not the central aspect of funerary practices. At Jiangzhai, gender and gender norms were intertwined with other aspects of funerary practices and social identity, influenced by economic structural differences between households. We call for more case studies based on new methods and encourage scholars to continue critically examining past gender narratives.

Studying Age Identities Through Funerary Dimensions: A Discussion of Child and Adult Burials from Lower Egypt (4th mil. BCE)

ABSTRACT This article presents an assessment of age identities through the funerary practices of the Lower Egyptian Culture (ca. 3500 BCE), with particular attention to childhood. The case study provides an opportunity to discuss how archaeologists form interpretations on age identities through reviews of mortuary data. I claim that we should evaluate the relevance of each and every burial dimension in order to create an informed opinion, rather than provide broad conclusions based on the overall similarities or differences between age groups. Specifically, the location of the tombs has been found particularly relevant for exploring age identities. I propose that these communities recognised at least three different age identities, differentiating foetuses and infants under four months, older subadults, and adults. The role of the arrangement of the grave, corpse, and material culture in negotiating age identities, personhood and grief by mourners is also discussed.

The Trincheras Tradition from the Valleys to the Coast: Mortuary Practices in Puerto Libertad, Sonora

This paper presents archaeological findings from excavations within the Salvamento Arqueológico Planta de Licuefacción de Gas Natural in winter 2022. The project area is located 2 kilometers southeast from the town of Puerto Libertad, Sonora and 800 meters inland from the coastline. A pre-Hispanic cemetery was recorded and excavated, with secondary pit cremations, secondary cremations placed inside locally produced plain ware and decorated vessels, and an articulated primary burial of a female, between 18 and 20 years old and with evidence of scalping. A possible crematorium 1.8 km away with cremations was also identified. The study area borders the precolonial cultural limits of the Costa Central and Trincheras Traditions and the documentation of cremations from the site were compared against previously excavated mortuary features across both cultural traditions. In addition to funerary practices, ceramic analysis demonstrated that the ancient inhabitants of Puerto Libertad belonged to the Trincheras Tradition and suggests they may have migrated from the valleys.

Grave and cemetery as a manifestation of social behaviours. A few thoughts on the example of early medieval burials from the Chełmno-Dobrzyń zone

Starting point for the study of social behavior based on funeral rituals material traces is an assumption both cemeteries and burials (which are part of them) are, in a certain part, a reflection of social relations. Results of the necropolis sources analysis in their spatial context can provide plenty of information necessary to describe a social structure, determine a hierarchy and system of power, determine the financial status of deceased and reconstruct existing relationships between individuals and groups, and in general, development and a complexity of social organization studies. The article presents a few chosen issues regarding social activities manifested in graves and entire necropolises appearance (based on graves from cemeteries in Chełmno-Dobrzyń zone - Kałdus, Gruczno, Pień and Napole among others). Examples discussed in the article are an expression of socially regulated and consciously undertaken activities, expressing a certain consensus which guaranteed the stable development of local communities. Funeral practices, which were subordinated to constantly changing social rules on the one hand and accepted various dissimilarities on the other (including sepulchral customs originating from ethnically, religiously and culturally alien environments), were important part of it. Unusual burials characterized by a different deceased arrangement in graves, an equipment, and a non-standard grave constructions are traces of these practices. Social relations, including family and intergenerational ties, expressed in double and multiple burials among others, can be found in a cemetery. Necropolises could be considered, in this way, as a mirror reflection of a "spatialized" social order. The order transferred into the eschatological dimension.

Cemeteries of the Churches of Our Lady in Summo in Ostrów Tumski in Poznań from the second half of the 10th? towards the late 18th century – variety of funeral practices

Abstract. The cemetery of the Church of Our Lady on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań was mentioned in written sources for the first time after the consecration of the Gothic collegiate church (1448), together with the information concerning the construction of a wall in the years 1465-1466. However, observations resulting from archaeological research suggest that the dead could have been buried also in the pre-Romanesque palace chapel. In total, about 160 graves were recorded around the Gothic church and inside it, as well as numerous human bones, either in clusters or separate. The obtained data concerned various forms of burials, arrangement of skeletons, and grave goods. In the later phase of the cemetery, within the area south of the church, a change in the orientation of the skeletons was observed, while in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries an arrangement of three rows of graves appeared. The most recent of the burials seems to be an ossuary in the middle of the central nave. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, human bones, transferred from the cathedral, being rebuilt at the time, were reburied there. The results of archaeological research of the cemetery have been confronted with written sources and iconography of Ostrów Tumski. From the south, west and north, relics of the brick and stone cemetery wall were also recognised. The material obtained during field works requires further detailed analyses and research: either archaeological or anthropological, and also in terms of conservation.

Adelheid Frackiewicz: Landart, Mourning, and Translation

ABSTRACT The authors position and contextualise Adelheid Frackiewicz’s recent landart amid comparable works by contemporary artists, dealing with land loss, mourning, and migration. Paul Ricoeur’s magnanimous view of translation, and Hans Belting’s “anthropology” of inner images, aid to explore Frackiewicz’s conceptual footings, and the possible effects of healing through her landart—related to the crossing of thresholds, funerary practices, displacement, and migration. The existential and “ontological” value of translation as envisaged by Ricoeur not only illuminates the artmaking processes of “carrying across” materials (as transferral or translation) but directs attention to the translations entailed in the unique enactment of practice-based research in this co-authored article, where theory, philosophy and practice—the hands-on knowledge-making of the artmaking process, and abstract thinking—are closely in constant conversation.

Waves of Grief: Fluctuating Restrictions, Treatments of Corpses and Experiences of Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT: With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, high mortality rates brought to the forefront the importance not only of the gestures performed and practices implemented on and about the deceased, but also, most importantly, of the entire sequence of funeral operations involved. The intensification of the work needed to take care of bodies in their biological component, from a technical point of view, generated uncertainties on the possibility to also adequately take care of the social components relating to families and loved ones. This raises questions about the factors influencing the experience of grief in these circumstances, and the extent to which funerary practices determine the nature and characteristics of grief work. Based on two anthropological research projects conducted in France and Switzerland in the mortuary and funeral realms, as well as with bereaved persons over the first eighteen months of the pandemic, this article aims at answering these questions. It argues that grief trajectories are strongly impacted by the way in which bodies were treated, as well as by whether the funeral was felt to have been conducted in a satisfactory manner. It also sheds new light on a series of factors pertaining to the temporality of the processes involved: dying circumstances; attitudes towards restrictions throughout the entire process of caring for the body, and not merely at the funeral; the period in the pandemic during which a death occurred, i.e., during or between “waves.” In so doing, the article broadens the ways in which we think about temporality and death.

Sequencing the Southern Iberian Late Neolithic hypogeum cemetery of La Beleña through radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modeling

Abstract This study aims to determine the chronological sequence of the collective burials in the hypogea of the prehistoric cemetery of La Beleña (Cabra, Córdoba) through Bayesian analyses of 14C dates obtained from human remains. The data from this site are not only key to grasping the phenomenon of the introduction and spread of hypogea throughout the western Mediterranean, but to gain insight into multi-stage funerary practices during the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic. The dataset comprises 14C dates of 71 of the 79 individuals placed in five of La Beleña’s six hypogea. The findings suggest: (i) La Beleña is one of the oldest assemblages of hypogea in Iberia, (ii) that this type of collective burial spread rapidly throughout the western Mediterranean area, (iii) that La Beleña is marked by two main phases of funerary activity interspersed by brief burial surges, (iv) funerary intensity at La Beleña increased between cal BC 3400–2900 (2σ), and (v) the cemetery saw a very brief surge of burials potentially related to a catastrophic event. The results of this analysis thus shed light on the little-known chronological sequence of prehistoric hypogea or rock-cut tombs in Iberia, their spread, and their relation to other Late Neolithic collective burials in western Europe.

Celebrando la muerte.

While not as poetic as the cemetery, and bathed in a grimmer light, the present research addresses the subject of funerary architecture involved in the farewell; the funeral parlour-crematorium. Around 60% of these buildings in Spain are located in industrial parks. Since these are the architectural representatives of the celebration of death, responsible for hosting the funeral rite, we ask ourselves, are they doing their job well? We set out to understand the reasons behind the formalisation of this architecture in this location, and to analyse the recurrent features of its design affecting our relationship with the funerary rite. By relating funerary practices to our attitude towards death, we get a glimpse of the complexity of the issue. The reader is urged to reflect on these buildings, constructed with apparent inertia, on which little or no thought has been invested by architects.

Die bilingue Opfertafel der Tasuchion aus dem Fayum (Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum ÄM 11631)

Summary Publication of an early Roman offering table for the woman Tasouchion. The table probably came from the Fayum and was inscribed with a rare bilingual Hieroglyphic-Greek inscription. The Hieroglyphic text contains a ritual, while the Greek text offers a Greek version of the well-known and wide-spread Latin epitaph sit tibi terra levis. Both texts are analyzed in the context of ancient funerary practices.