Burial Research Articles

Route “Roads of Memory”: Resource of the Commemorative Practice on the Places of Hostilities on the Territory of Russia and Belarus (1941–1945)

This article is devoted to the description of the implementation of the route “Roads of Memory” as a format of historical “immersion” in the research material that contributes to the reconstruction of social memory about the events of the Great Patriotic War, the phenomenon of human losses during the War, the formation of the meaning of this phenomenon and the veneration of humanistic value. This commemorative practice turned out to be extremely understandable and successful in the format of research objectives of the archival search team. In July 2019, a group of students with a professor, in connection with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Byelorussian SSR territory from the invaders, went to the Republic of Belarus in order to visit the brotherly burials where the remains of Siberians rest. The commemoration was called “Roads of Memory” and covered the route from Novosibirsk through Moscow to Smolensk – Roslavl – Minsk – Vitebsk. The participants visited the burial sites of Red Army soldiers who died in battles during the Great Patriotic War or in concentration camps. The study used a set of complementary methods that contribute both to the effectiveness of the search and to the professional promotion of the participants of the archival search team. The narration of the events described by the route “Roads of Memory” is a combination of a diary essay and storytelling, in the tradition of the narrative approach.

BENTUK DAN STRUKTUR SUPERSTISI KATEGORI KEMATIAN DAN ADAT PEMAKAMAN PADA MASYARAKAT MELAYU RUMBAI TIMUR

Superstition is a belief that cannot be proven logically and does not necessarily occur. In this study the authors took one village among the villages in East Rumbai District, namely the village of Tebing Tinggi Okura. This research is also motivated by the researcher's desire to find out the structure and meaning contained in the superstitious East Rumbai Malay community which is formed by the relationship between different life values ​​and beliefs. The purpose of this study is to describe the form and structure of the superstitious categories of death and burial customs in the Malay community in Tebing Tinggi Okura Rumbai Timur Village, Pekanbaru City. The approach to this study uses a qualitative approach while the research method is a qualitative descriptive method with a type of field research. The analysis in this study was carried out in three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. Based on the results of the analysis in this study, there were 27 superstitious forms of death category data and funeral customs. Of the 27 data that has been obtained, 23 data are classified into a two-part structure, namely cause and effect, while the other 4 data include a three-part structure, namely a sign, a change from one state to another (conversion), and a result. The East Rumbai Malay community, especially the village of Tebing Tinggi Okura, has instilled superstitious values ​​in their daily lives, because the use of this superstition can regulate the order of norms in their collective society, especially in death and funeral customs in the East Rumbai Malay community.

Saxo Grammaticus's Account of the Viking Age Site on the Danish Island of Hjarnø in Gesta Danorum

Saxo Grammaticus's Account of the Viking Age Site on the Danish Island of Hjarnø in <i>Gesta Danorum</i>

Austronesian diaspora in Indonesian archipelago arrived at the last migration wave

Austronesian migration in the last 4500 years ago is a unique phenomenon in the history of human civilization, related to the vast area and the time of spreading. Not many papers summarize the Austronesian traces from a paleoanthropological perspective. This paper describes the Austronesian diaspora in the Indonesian Archipelago based on the physical characteristics and human remains (especially craniodental) found in the archaeological context. Human remains with neolithic burial context were found in several cave sites on the karstic mountains around 3500 years ago, while skeletal remains with a paleometallic burial context were found from several coastal jar burial sites dating back 2000 years ago. In the future, intensive research is needed to determine whether the two different burial characteristics result from cultural evolution or reflect two layers of migration.

Chapter 9 Arthur C. Parker: Equivocal Examples in Advocacy and Allyship

ABSTRACTArthur Caswell Parker (1881–1955) was one of the first Indigenous archaeologists. As a Seneca‐descended scientist from the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation, his cultural background aided with collaboration and research. Many archaeologists uncritically use Parker as an example of a Native archaeologist, anthropologist, and ethnographer. However, his career started at a time when the field of archaeology was still in its infancy, when practices now considered unethical were commonplace. Parker excavated and sold human burials, published records of sacred ceremonies, and provided images of False Face Masks and Snow Snakes. Yet, an examination of his personal correspondence illustrates both a concern for archaeological practice as well as efforts to prevent sensitive cultural aspects from being released to the wider, non‐Native public. These seemingly contradictory stances illustrate that Parker's practice was more nuanced than previously believed. Parker's writings and actions indicate a concern for the situation of the Seneca people and attempts to do what he thought best for others (even if they disagreed). Despite all this, the simplistic assumption that Parker, as an Indigenous archaeologist, always acted in the best interest of his people continues to influence how Euro‐Americans perceive how archaeology should be done. This belief must be interrogated in order that we may move archaeology forward to be a more respectful and equitable practice.

The Excavation of Gua Harimau's Western Gallery: A Contribution to the Terminal Pleistocene-Early Holocene archaeological records in Sumatra

Gua Harimau (gua=cave) is a crucial site for understand the prehistory of Sumatra and its relationship to the peopling of Insular Southeast Asia. A large number of archaeological records has been discovered at the western part of the cave, including human burials, lithic artefacts, potteries, and faunal remains that have been anthropogenically altered. The chronological stratigraphy of these records extends to the Late Pleistocene Period, enabling us to reconstruct the dynamics of prehistoric culture in Sumatra. At least three episodes of human occupation have been recognized in the cave: The Preneolithic, Neolithic, and Paleometalic (early metal age). However, the distributional pattern of various archaeological remains, such as mollusk shells, ground tools, unifacially-shaped pebble tools, and bone artefacts, reveals significant differences. These differences provide insight into the cultural development that occurred in Sumatra during the prehistoric occupation of Gua Harimau, and demonstrate changes in cultural affinity that may correspond to past environmental conditions and human adaptation.

The Tabot Tradition: Exploring the Spread of Islam and Cultural Interaction in Bengkulu

The Tabot tradition is an important part of the Bengkulu cultural and religious heritage, which shows a close interaction between traditional customs and Islamic beliefs. The study aims to describe the Tabot tradition in Bengkulu and its relationship with the process of Islam’s entry into the country using a literature study approach. This study showed The process of Islamization in Bengkulu involved the economic activities of Muslim traders, intermarriage, Sufi teachings, and the development of the arts. Islam reached Bengkulu in the 15th or 16th century, primarily through contacts with Minangkabau and Palembang. The introduction of Islam to Bengkulu resulted in the formation of small kingdoms and the establishment of Islamic burial sites and manuscripts. The Tabot tradition, an annual ceremony commemorating the death of Imam Husayn, was brought to Bengkulu by Indian Bengalis and later blended with local traditions. This tradition demonstrates the close interaction between traditional customs and the Islamic faith in Bengkulu.

Memorial Complex of the Second Half of the 7th–8th Centuries at the Hillfort Near the Village of Gora Uslan

The author discusses the structure which is stone mound. Inside it the remains of a campfire were found containing a complex of finds. The object was found on the hillfort near the village of Gora Uslan, located on the left bank of the Upa River, within the boundaries of the city of Tula. Due to the absence of human remains, this complex does not belong to burial sites, but is associated with memorial rites. On the basis of analogies, the complex of finds can be dated to the second half of the 7th–8th century. The buckle from the campfire has analogies in the mordovian burial grounds. The find of a miniature handmade jug is connected with the steppe antiquities. The handmade vessel found at the foothill of the mound is close to “Sakhnovka” type materials. Similar objects on the territory of the Oka-Don watershed and adjacent regions are not known. Structurally and functionally the most similar constructions are known in nomadic antiquities of the Samara Volga region of the 7th–8th centuries. The cultural syncretism of the published complex demonstrates of complicated the ethno-cultural situation in the region during the second half of the 7th –8th centuries.

Celebrating Third Anniversary of October Revolution in Altai Province in 1920

This article examines the process of organizing celebratory events for the third anniversary of the October Revolution in the Altai Province. The focus is on the preparatory work, including the planning of festive activities, the coordination of themes for propaganda work, and the distribution of red fabric for making flags, among other things. The relevance of the study lies not only in the interest in the formation of the Soviet holiday calendar but also in the everyday life of the population in Siberia under the policy of ‘prodrazverstka’. By drawing on a wide range of sources, the article identifies the peculiarities of celebrating the third anniversary of the October Revolution, taking into account differences between urban and rural areas. It is determined that in cities, celebratory events were mass-oriented and covered all segments of the population, including parades, performances, and concerts. In rural areas, there were often no events due to weak propaganda work. Visiting individual graves and communal burial sites of those who died fighting for Soviet power became an important element of the holiday. The article concludes that celebrating the anniversary of the October Revolution in Siberia was a key aspect of the propaganda policy in favor of the Soviet state.

Social distinctions during the south Indian Neolithic: changing mortuary practices in a late prehistoric cemetery at Maski

Human burials have been recovered from a wide variety of intra- and extramural settlement contexts at Neolithic period sites (3000–1200 BC) in southern India, yet formal cemeteries remain virtually unknown from this period. Research at MARP-79 in the Raichur District of the south Indian state of Karnataka, near the type-site of Maski, documents a large Neolithic cemetery, now with the largest number of radiometrically dated burials of any archaeological site in southern India. The cemetery demonstrates considerable, previously undocumented variation in mortuary ritual, involving new materials, technologies and burial practices, which challenge culture-historical models, pointing instead towards long-term incremental developments that alter how we understand the emergence of Neolithic social differences.

Diet and mobility in Late Antique Sicily: Isotopic data from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, Siracusa (Italy)

The catacombs of Santa Lucia were built during the 3rd century CE in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, as a burial site for members of the local Christian community until the early 8th century CE. This site is an important cemeterial context of the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. The tombs and artifacts found suggest that individuals of varying wealth were buried in the catacombs. Historical accounts also confirm the presence of a significant Christian community from Syria and the Levant in Siracusa during this period. The objective of this research is to investigate the life histories of the Late Antique community interred in the catacombs using stable isotope analysis. This technique aimed to clarify the dietary differences between individuals of different social status and geographical origins, in order to re-evaluate the data from historical documents. To achieve this, we conducted stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses on skeletal samples from 25 individuals recovered from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, using established methods. The results revealed significant dietary diversity among the individuals buried in the catacombs, with evidence of the consumption of both C3 and C4 plants, as well as fish from both freshwater and sea sources.The oxygen isotopes show a particularly broad range in both the small sample set of bones and the larger set of teeth, suggesting a significant degree of mobility for most of the individuals tested. The high variability found in the diet and the evidence of mobility for most of the individuals tested not only between early age and adulthood, but also throughout their lives. It raises new questions and calls for the consideration of the archaeological and historical implications of these novel discoveries.

MATERIALS OF THE GOLDEN HORDE PERIOD FROM THE MULTILAYERED SETTLEMENT OF KITSIVKA 1

The materials from the excavations of the multilayered settlement Kitsivka 1 provide additional insight into the characteristics of the Golden Horde Age population living in the forest-steppe part of the Siverski Donets River basin. Over time, the cultural and historical communities inhabiting this territory were changed. However, people always chose to settle in the settlement zones which traditionally used the natural resources of the micro-region and its logistical features. A vivid example of this is the crossing of the Siverski Donets known in the «Book of the Great Map» as the Kaganski Perevoz. It connected the territories with different landscapes: the right-bank forest-steppe and the left-bank steppe, thus being on the border of two systems of economic management and, as a result, cultural development. At certain historical stages, this point required military control, as evidenced by the remains of fortifications built in the early Middle Ages. During the Golden Horde period, the ethno-political situation seems to have changed dramatically, and the nature of the ties between the populations of the forest-steppe right bank and the steppe left bank of the Siverski Donets acquires the quality of a cultural and economic contactor.&#x0D; The material and spiritual culture of the Golden Horde period is represented at the Kitsivka 1 settlement by ceramic and cast-iron utensils, iron and non-ferrous metal products (elements of weapons, armour, clothing, tools), etc. Of great importance for understanding the nature of the worldview and origin of the settlers of this period is the discovered inhumation burial which belongs to the male privates, with traces of a fire ritual of the IV period (Golden Horde time) according to the classification of Dr. Fedorov-Davydov.&#x0D; The settlement of Kitsivka I is the first site in the Kharkiv region containing the materials on everyday life and funerary rites with osteological remains of the deceased, and this provides great potential for further cultural and historical reconstructions of the Golden Horde period in the modern Kharkiv region. It is necessary to further expand the studied areas of cultural layers, which will allow, among other things, to obtain a more accurate chronological framework for the life of the Golden Horde population, which today can be roughly defined as the second half of the 13th—14th centuries.

Scythian Mound of the 4th Century BC near Kobrynove Village

The article is devoted to the publication of materials from the excavations of the barrow no. 2 near Kobrynove village in Cherkasy Oblast. It belongs to the Scythian sites of the confluence of the Hirskyi Tikych and Hnylyi Tikych rivers. Most of the burial sites excavated by archaeologists in the region are dated to the 4th century BC — Ryzhanivka, Ryzyno and Rubanyi Mist. The barrow no. 2 had been excavated by the Cherkasy archaeological expedition led by H. T. Kovpanenko in 1986. An archaeologist S. S. Bessonova carried out direct work on the mound. At the time of the excavations, the barrow was 1.8 m high from the horizon level. The soil of the barrow slopes became soft as a result of plowing. The diameter of the mound at the time of research was 35 m, in ancient times it was about 25 m. The ditch was not recorded. It consisted of chernozem. In the mound there was excavated a burial in the catacombs. According to the classification of V. S. Olkhovskyi, the latter belong to the Type IІ. The long walls of the exit chamber and the pits are located on the same axis. Above the grave a complex wooden ceiling in the shape of the so-called ‘lattices’ was built. Its basis was made of oak beams. The analogies to the constructions in the shape of ‘lattices’ are known from the excavations in the south of the forest-steppe in the Dnipro Right Bank, on the Left Bank in the lower reaches of the Dnister, Middle Don, the Urals and Northern Kazakhstan. It is possible that similar ceilings over graves are of Eastern origin. Unfortunately, the catacomb was robbed in ancient times. The skull found in the robber’s pit allows claiming that the burial belonged to a woman. A round bronze spinning wheel and a fragment of realgar represent the finds from the barrow. The dimensions of the mound, the complex wooden floor indicate that the deceased had a high social status. Burial in the catacomb, a wooden covering and a realgar find suggest that she was a nomad. Thereby the mound is another evidence of the penetration of steppe nomads into the Right Bank forest-steppe. The proximity of the burial structure and the overlap to the sites of the Late Scythian period in the Dnipro Right Bank allows dating the burial in the barrow near Kobrynove village to the 4th century BC.

The history of the study of the Cherkaskul Culture at the present stage

The article presents the analysis of the current stage of the history of study of the Late Bronze Age Cherkas-kul Culture, mostly distributed in the forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas of the Trans-Urals, including the Tobol region. The source base of the study is a critical analysis of scientific publications concerning the problems of the culture. Five stages in the history of the study of the Cherkaskul Culture were identified, but the achievements of the first four are presented only briefly, as these have been previously published. At the fifth stage (the end of the past — first two decades of the present century), new knowledge on various problems of the culture, as can be seen from the bibliography, was formed primarily by the efforts of scientific centers of Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk. These publications provide various concepts for the genesis of the culture, new calibrated radiocar-bon dates are analyzed, which determine the age of the Cherkaskul Culture within the middle — beginning of the third quarter of the 2nd mil. BC. These also demonstrate the intense spread of the sites of this culture to adjacent regions to the west, east and south. Yet, a reasonable point has been raised regarding apparently not so signifi-cant influence of the Cherkaskul migrants on the archaeological sites of the eastern regions of Tataria (in particu-lar, the Taktalachuk burial ground), and the Middle Volga region — the Suskan Culture. At the same time, the first publications have appeared on the technical and typological analysis of the Cherkaskul ceramics, the specifics of its metal complex and other categories of the grave goods. The research continues on different aspects of the diversified economy of the Cherkaskul communities in various natural and climatic zones of their habitat; the first data about possible acquaintance of some communities of the forest-steppe Tobol region with the basics of cereal cultivation have been introduced into scientific circulation. However, not all the issues are close to their final solu-tion, which is in particular due to the specifics of the archaeological sites of the region, multi-layered and non-stratified nature of the majority of the settlements, small number of semi-closed housing complexes within them, as well as small number of identified and analysed closed burial sites.

Legal regulation of the funeral process in Russia during the 18th–19th centuries epidemics

The fundamental foundations of human culture should include funeral and memorial rites, which reflect the life cycle of an ethnic group. In emergency situations, there are changes in the habitual image of people and the concentration of public attention on the ritual sphere. Epidemics that differ in the scale of mortality can be considered to be such situations. The article examines the influence of epidemics on the funeral process in Russia on the basis of the analysis of the 18th–19th centuries normative legal acts. According to the author, at the first stages of the development of epidemic diseases, people tried to adhere to the traditional rules of burial of the deceased. However, with the increase in the number of deceased, the state imposed restrictions that also applied to the funeral process. The paper considers the stages of the funeral process and its features during the 18th–19th centuries epidemics – simplification of the preparation and transportation of the body to the burial site, changing the term, time and place of burial, formal performance of ritual practices. Special attention is paid to the reaction of the population to the prohibitions imposed by the authorities. The article formulates the main conclusion that after large-scale epidemics, there had been a transformation of the funeral process, which the 18th–19th centuries Russian legislation reflected.

Revisiting cremation practices of the Pastoral Neolithic in Kenya

As global archaeological studies of cremation increasingly integrate detailed methodology alongside mortuary theory, case studies from sedentary, agricultural societies – most commonly from Europe and North America - still dominate. This paper examines the earliest known cremation tradition from Africa, associated with a period termed the Pastoral Neolithic c. 3300–1200 BP, at the sites of Njoro River Cave, Keringet Cave, and Noomparrua Nkosesia in Kenya. These burial sites contained remains of multiple cremated individuals in settings of caves and subterranean cavities. Using bioarchaeological and contextual analyses, this paper presents site-specific chaînes opératoires to explore variability in funerary processes. Shared traits including the rocky, secluded environments and patterning of ochre staining demonstrate the potential maintenance and transmission of fundamental aspects of cremation ritual knowledge by different mobile communities throughout the Pastoral Neolithic.

New insight into prehistoric craft specialisation. Tooth-tool use in the Chalcolithic burial site of Camino del Molino, Murcia, SE Spain

The study of non-alimentary tooth wear is an excellent tool to identify the development of specific activities and thus, to delve deeper into the social organisation and complexity of past populations. This paper analyses extra-masticatory wear in the dentition of a sample of 102 articulated skeletons from Camino del Molino, a unique collective tomb that housed 1,348 individuals throughout two contiguous phases spanning much of the 3rd millennium BC. After preliminary macroscopic observation of the dental sample, 8 individuals with cultural dental wear were identified and 5 of them were analysed with SEM. In all cases, the maxillary anterior dentition displays evidence that can be defined as occlusal and interproximal grooves consisting of fine, parallel striations, as well as labial notches and chipping of the enamel. The results suggest that 8 individuals, mostly women, used their dentition in craft tasks, such as in the processing of fibres for textile production, hence representing the earliest evidence of craft specialisation in the Iberian Peninsula and potential proof of a possible sex-based division of labour in a Chalcolithic community.

Alternative epidemic indicators for COVID-19 in three settings with incomplete death registration systems.

Not all COVID-19 deaths are officially reported, and particularly in low-income and humanitarian settings, the magnitude of reporting gaps remains sparsely characterized. Alternative data sources, including burial site worker reports, satellite imagery of cemeteries, and social media-conducted surveys of infection may offer solutions. By merging these data with independently conducted, representative serological studies within a mathematical modeling framework, we aim to better understand the range of underreporting using examples from three major cities: Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Aden (Yemen), and Khartoum (Sudan) during 2020. We estimate that 69 to 100%, 0.8 to 8.0%, and 3.0 to 6.0% of COVID-19 deaths were reported in each setting, respectively. In future epidemics, and in settings where vital registration systems are limited, using multiple alternative data sources could provide critically needed, improved estimates of epidemic impact. However, ultimately, these systems are needed to ensure that, in contrast to COVID-19, the impact of future pandemics or other drivers of mortality is reported and understood worldwide.

«Девиантные» захоронения ранних кочевников Южного Урала (вторая половина VI – IV в. до н.э.)

Burials that are different in a number of ways from the traditional funeral rite for any society under consideration are typically referred to as “deviant”, “non-standard”, “extraordinary” or “atypical”. The article discusses ‘deviant’ burials of the Early nomads in the Southern Urals during the second half of the 6th and 4th centuries BC. This paper has two purposes: the first is to study these burials by analyzing their context and the second goal is to identify and interpret the reasons of their construction. The features of the “non-standard” funeral rite of the nomads have been distinguished by contextual analysis. The main result of the study is the identification of the main types of “deviant” burials found in the burial sites of the Early nomads, the appearance of which could have been influenced by many reasons related both to the system of beliefs and worldviews of the society under consideration, as well as by personal circumstances of life or death. Possible reasons for building “deviant” burials could have been the following: special social status of the buried individual, fear of the dead in the community, various rituals associated with human sacrifices or burials of “strangers’. It is also possible that the “deviant” burials could be associated with some external factors that led to refusal of the community to bury the dead using traditional practices and normative rites., it is necessary use a number of additional sources for further comprehensive study in order to identify the reasons for designing the “deviant” burials.

Environmental Study for the Conservation of the Simawang Megalitic Site, Lake Singkarak, West Sumatera

The Menhir Simawang site is located in the northeastern part of Lake Singkarak on a hillside with residential areas in the valley. The uniqueness of the Menhir Simawang site is located on a hill facing northeast, where Mount Sago is located. This mountain is one of the mountains that was considered sacred in the minds of the Minang people in the past. The aim is to find out in advance the local wisdom of the Simawang people in the past in adapting to their environment. The second utilizes environmental studies for site conservation. This study uses qualitative methods, using inductive reasoning. To sharpen environmental analysis in conservation, primary data (field) and secondary data analysis is carried out through maps. The excavation results show that the menhirs are related to the burial pits which are oriented northeast-southwest. The selection of a burial site on the top of a hill and the division of its terraced space is one of the implementations of the concept and social structure, as well as the beliefs of the Simawang people. The belief that when someone dies, the spirit will return to the top, so to bring it closer to the upper world, it must be placed in a higher place than their settlement. Local wisdom in choosing land as a grave or settlement is a form of human adaptation to the environment. This local wisdom can be a lesson for us today.