Shallow Graves Research Articles

Kurganless Cemetery of the Sarmatian Times on the Maloe Storozhevoe Hillfort in the Middle Don Basin

The paper publishes research results on five burials discovered at the smaller of the two hillforts of the Scythian era located near the village Storozhevoye 1st on the river Don. The results of their comprehensive archaeological and anthropological study characterize the little-studied kurganless tradition of the Sarmatian period in the forest-steppe Don region. Ethnical, cultural and chronological attribution of the complexes is based on the ritual and material analogies. The study of anthropological materials was carried out using standard methods. Reconstruction of the buried individuals diet was carried out based on the results of the ratio of stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon (д13C and д15N) in bone tissue collagen. The burials were located in the embankment of a shaft and contained the remains of four men (25–30, 25–35, 40–44 and 60+ years old), a teenager (14–19 years old) and a child (5–10 years old). Based on the ritual and a small inventory, they are identified as Sarmatian and dated within the 1st – early 2nd centuries. As a rule, the dead were placed in relatively shallow graves (about 0.4 m) on their backs in an extended position with their heads facing southeast. The two graves destroyed the earlier burials of the teenager and the child, whose skeletal remains were displaced. The burial of an older man stands out buried in a deeper grave (0.7 m) and with a set of objects (an iron dagger, a clay bowl with an iron knife and animal bones). A silver earring and a bone bead were buried with the two individuals. Traces of trauma and pathology on the bones were either absent or few in number (caries, abrasion and loss of teeth). The plant component (apparently millet) dominated the diet of the individuals, but meat and dairy foods occupied an important place as well. The burials apparently belonged to the inhabitants of a hillfort Bol’shoe Storozhevoe located nearby, the layers of which also contain materials from the Sarmatian era. They constituted a small burial ground associated with the lifestyle transformation of one of the semi-nomadic societies in the region.

Choburak-I – a necropolis of the Rouran period in the Northern Altai

The article presents the results of studying materials obtained during excavations of the Bulan-Koby necropolis identified as part of the large multi-temporal archaeological complex Choburak-I. This site, located in Chemal district of the Altai Republic, is being studied by an expedition from Altai State University. The burial ground included 12 mounds, which contained undisturbed burials of seven men, three women, a teenager and a child. The key features of the ritual practice identified during the excavations include a small stone mound with an oval stonework-crepidoma; shallow graves; single human inhumation; the head of the dead person pointing northwest; accompanying burial of a horse, laid “at the feet” and on top of the deceased. Representative grave goods was found in the burials, including weapons, items of human equipment, tools and household products, ornaments, as well as horse harness. An analysis of these finds makes it possible to determine the time of construction of the Choburak-I necropolis as the middle – second half of the 4th century AD, which is confirmed by the results of radiocarbon dating. An assumption was made about the short period of the burial ground functioning (no more than 30 years). It was established that this complex belongs to the Dialian tradition of ritual practice of the Bulan-Koby population, the bearers of which constituted the elite of the Northern Altai nomads in the Rouran period.

Burial Rite of the Chuvash People in the 16th –19th Centuries

The analysis of the elements of the burial rite of the Chuvash people was carried out through statistical processing of burial grounds materials. Tombstone structures, pit construction, burial equipment and remnants of traditional costume are considered. Position of the skeleton is detailed in various ways of laying the arms (along the body, on the pelvis, stomach, chest), rare deviations from the elongated corpse position on the back (crouched, half-turned). The all-Chuvash traditional burial rite can be characterized by the presence of the following elements: shallow grave pits with steep walls and a flat bottom, an elongated position of the skeleton, a coffin or a wooden structure, household equipment, a suit and jewelry worn during life, rarely things that were of particular importance to the deceased. Massively, regardless of gender and age, the presence of a coffin or an iron knife is recorded, while the fragments of a sickle are characteristic of children's burials. The burial inventory is an integral part of the ritual of all ethnographic groups of the Chuvash people. Among the cults, the cult of fire and the horse are widespread. Statistical data allow us to establish the frequency of occurrence of individual elements in different burial grounds, binding to the sex and age groups of burials.

Long-term effects of buried vertebrate carcasses on soil biogeochemistry in the Northern Great Plains.

Decomposing vertebrates impact ecosystems by stimulating animal, insect, and microbial scavengers, perturbing biogeochemical cycles, and transferring elements back to the environment. Most studies exploring the impacts of vertebrate decomposition focus on surface decay scenarios over timescales of days to years. Accordingly, our knowledge of ecosystem impacts of vertebrate decomposition in burial contexts and over longer time scales is limited. In 2000, six animal carcasses were buried in a shallow grave (<1.0 m) and allowed to decompose naturally until partial excavation in 2021, enabling evaluation of long-term soil biogeochemical responses to decomposing vertebrates. Soils were sampled along three vertical transects from the surface to the bone-bearing layer (~40 cm depth) and below. Comparison of the physical and chemical properties of the grave and control soils from equivalent depths indicate significant perturbations even 21 years after burial. Notably, soil pH was significantly more acidic in grave soils (p = 0.0296), and conductivity was significantly elevated (p = 0.0009). Grave soils were significantly enriched with respect to nitrogen stable isotopes, exhibiting δ15N values of 10.48 ± 3.6‰, which is ~5‰ greater than controls. Carbon and nitrogen content was also disrupted in the burial, with five times more nitrogen in the bone-bearing layer and almost double the carbon. Water and acid-based extractions of soils revealed significant differences between grave and control soils, driven largely by calcium, phosphorus (P), magnesium, and iron concentrations. P concentrations in acid extracts were significantly enriched at the bone-bearing layer, suggesting release of P from the bones. This study demonstrates that decomposition may result in long-lived impacts to burial environments and soil biogeochemistry, even after soft tissues decay. While not typically considered in ecosystem models, buried remains contribute to soils for decades or longer, and soil biogeochemistry serves a critical role in facilitating or preventing the long-term preservation of bone.

Своеобразное погребение эпохи Великого переселения народов некрополя Карбан-I (Северный Алтай)

The article presents the results of the materials study from kurgan 11 of the Karban-I site, excavated in 1989 by the expedition of the Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute. This archaeological complex is located on the left bank of the Katun river, 1.7 km northwest of the Kuyus village of Chemal district of the Altai Republic. The key characteristics of the fixed structures (mound with an oval-shaped crepe-laying; a shallow grave pit, a burial chamber in the form of a stone box) and the method of inhumation (single position of the corpse on the back; orientation of the deceased with his head to the western sector of the horizon; the absence of an accompanying burial of a horse) indicate that that this object belongs to the Karban tradition of ritual practice of the population of Altai of the 2nd century BC – 5th century AD. Analysis of the discovered inventory (horn onlays for a bow, combat knife, typesetting belt, bone arrowheads, awl, pendants and braids made of non-ferrous metal, beads) and its comparison with materials from synchronous complexes in adjacent territories became the basis for determining the chronology of the burial within the Early Xianbei period (2nd – early 3nd centuries AD). It was established that the set of objects included items that were typical for both female and male “standard” rite of the Altai nomads of this period. It is concluded that the buried individual, most likely a male, was a representative of the prosperous stratum of the ordinary population. Judging by the availability of means of long-range and close combat including numerous equipment, he was part of a group of professional warriors. At the same time, the deceased during his lifetime occupied a rather high position in a small group of pastoralists who left the Karban-I necropolis.

Post-mortem interval of buried homicides in Okuku, Nigeria

BackgroundPost-mortem interval estimation of carcasses buried in shallow graves is a grey area in Nigerian forensic investigations. Most of the investigations and court decisions on the time of death of concealed homicides are based on assumptions in Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigated the post-mortem interval of buried remains in Okuku, Cross River State of Nigeria using porcine models. This study also provided a model account of the pattern and timeline of decomposition of buried remains in Nigeria.ResultsFour stages of decomposition were identified within the study period which includes fresh, bloat, active decay, and advanced decay stages. Features of bloat stage of decomposition include bloating of the animals and release of putrid odour. The active decay stage was characterized by the absence of maggots, bone exposure, and greyish discolouration of the body. The advanced decay stage of decomposition is characterized by adipocere formation, fungi activities, and bone exposure.ConclusionsBuried bodies do not completely skeletonize within 168 days in a typical Nigerian savannah region. Bloat stage started by the 7th day; the active decay stage started by the 14th day. The fresh stage of decay lasted up to 7 days; the bloat stage lasted for 14 days. The active decay stage lasted about 35 days, and the advanced decay stage started at about the 56th day and progressed until the end of the study.

ПОГРЕБЕНИЕ ПОЗДНЕСКИФСКОГО ВРЕМЕНИ ИЗ СЕВЕРНОГО АЛТАЯ

The article presents materials of one of the mounds excavated as part of the Choburak-I burial and memorial complex. This site is located on the right bank of the Katun river, to the south from the Elanda village, in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic. Mound No. 4 was explored by the archaeological expedition of Altai State University in 2015. The key characteristics of the studied object are a small stone mound; a shallow grave pit covered with several layers of slabs; burial chamber in the form of a stone box; burial of a person (men aged 25-35) according to the rite of single inhumation; the crouched position of the deceased, laid on the right side; orientation of the deceased in the western direction; lack of accompanying equipment. Judging by the results of radiocarbon analysis, as well as the existing analogies in the Altai sites, the published complex can be attributed to the northern version of the Pazyryk culture of the Scythian-Saka period, and its chronology is determined by the framework of the final stage in the history of this community.

Mapping Decomposition: A Preliminary Study of Non-Destructive Detection of Simulated body Fluids in the Shallow Subsurface

The processes of decomposition that the body will have after the time of death are peculiar and complex. The body swells and expels gases and fluids, and the flesh decays. It also attracts many insects and scavengers. We know that these fluids are nutrients for the vegetation, and if the body is inhumed in the subsurface, they allow a rapid crop growth that remote sensors can mark. During forensic investigations, mapping the fluid migration in the subsurface can help reconstruct the genesis of a clandestine grave. Several studies show how different remote sensors and analyses can be sensitive to human burials. This paper presents a preliminary experiment studying the fluid dispersion in the subsurface using simulated body fluids in a shallow grave and detecting it through the ground penetrating radar (GPR) technique (given its ability to detect dielectric constant changes in the investigated media) and other remote sensing techniques. Although the simulation of the body fluids related to the dielectric constant was accurate and allowed us to better understand how decomposition in the subsurface does not always migrate in the way that was initially expected (toward gravity), other typical characteristics of the body fluids, other soils and external factors were left out and would be studied in future simulations.

THE BEGUMS OF BHOPAL: A DYNASTY OF WOMEN RULERS IN RAJ INDIA (BOOK REVIEW)

The book “The Begums of Bhopal: A Dynasty of Women Rulers of Raj India” is authored by Shaharyar M. Khan. He was in born 12 March 1934. He is a former career Pakistan diplomat who became Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 1990 and retired from service in 1994. He served as United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Rwanda (1994–1996) also. Shaharyar Khan has written a number of books specially “The Begums of Bhopal” is a history of the princely state of Bhopal and “Shallow Graves of Rwanda” on his experiences on what Rwanda went through. The Begum of Bhopal, Sultan Jahan was his grandmother, and Shah Jahan Begum was his great-grandmother. Since August 1999, he served as the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board and as the president of Asian Cricket Council in 2016. The ISBN is 9780755626144 and it was published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

A Ballad and a Movie: Scandinavian TSB B21 and Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring

A Ballad and a Movie: Scandinavian TSB B21 and Ingmar Bergman's <i>The Virgin Spring</i>

ТЮРКСКОЕ ПОГРЕБЕНИЕ КОМПЛЕКСА АК-ДАГ (ЗАПАДНАЯ ТУВА): ПО МАТЕРИАЛАМ РАСКОПОК М.Х. МАННАЙ-ООЛА

The article presents an early medieval burial excavated in the Ak-Dag complex by an expedition led by M.Kh. Mannai-ool in 1963. This site is located 4 km northwest to the Aldan-Maadyr village, in the Sut-Khol district of the Tyva Republic. The studied object was a burial mound of a man with a horse. The fixed common features of this complex (a small rounded mound; a shallow grave; the orientation of the deceased to the east, accompanied by an animal laid in the opposite direction), as well as rarer characteristics (intra-grave structure in the form of a stone box made of thin slabs; the position of the horse on the back) indicate on its belonging to the circle of sites of the early medieval Turks. The absence of dating finds makes it possible to determine the chronology of the burial within the broad framework of the second half of the 1st millennium AD with a possible narrowing within the second half of the 6th - 8th centuries AD.

Multi-method Examination of Elder Mistreatment in the Age of COVID-19

A multi-method study exposed COVID-19 influence on the pre-existing epidemic of elder mistreatment in Utah. We found changes in 1) abuse types, 2) service responses, 3) firearm access and 4) policy implications. Gun sales were tracked by news surveillance and FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for pre-pandemic (2018/2019) and pandemic years (2020/2021). New requests for permits skyrocketed during the pandemic. The 2021 Utah State Legislature loosened restrictions on concealed permits. Domestic violence (DV) Fatality Tracker Data in pre-covid years were compared to 2020-2021. A figure illustrates the prevalence of DV fatalities, ages of victims by year and methods used. We conducted 15 in-depth interviews of stake holders who serve DV victims (shelters, police, etc.). DV shelters had a relative lack of children during the pandemic, but increased use by older persons 60+. Susceptibility to chronic respiratory distress syndrome, required social distance for older persons. DV shelters obtained CARES Act funds to adapt solutions, like placing victims in hotel rooms. Most victims stayed at home, confined with abuser(s), some without technology, so isolation decreased their safety. Evidence suggests some fatalities among elder adults. A case study during the pandemic described a 73-year-old mother’s suspicious bank account activity. Bank employees sent police to her home. She was missing, but her co-resident adult son was in possession of her bank cards. She was later found in a shallow grave. Utah households have increased risks of DV fatalities in the wake of the pandemic and for years to come.

The impact of the decomposition process of shallow graves on soil mite abundance.

Burial of a cadaver results in a slower decomposition rate, due to more stable below‐ground temperatures and restricted access to necrophagous insects. In such circumstances, analysis of the soil mesofauna, with emphasis on mites (Acari) may be more valuable in time‐of‐death estimations. The production of volatile organic compounds of cadaveric decay results in changes, especially in the soil pH, which in turn would affect the abundance and diversity of the associated mites. In general, the effects of decomposition and the consequently altered pH levels on the abundance of mites in shallow graves, as well as the effects of fluctuating above‐ground environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation) remain unknown. Here, we found that the decay of three pig cadavers buried in shallow graves (<30 cm below) caused a significant increase in the soil pH throughout decomposition, from neutral to alkaline. Cadaver decay attracted an abundance of mites: with 300 mites collected from the three pig cadavers compared to 129 from the control soil samples at the same depth. Mites rapidly became more abundant in cadaver‐associated soils than in control soils after the fresh stage. Increasing soil pH had a positive impact on the abundance of mites in graves and there was a significant interaction between cadaver body temperature and soil pH. Above‐ground fluctuations in temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation were found to have no significant direct effect on mite abundance in grave or control soils.

Assemblages of Acari in shallow burials: mites as markers of the burial environment, of the stage of decay and of body-cadaver regions

The burial of a cadaver results in reduced arthropod activity and disruptions in colonisation patterns. Here, the distribution and diversity of mite taxa was studied across decomposition stages of shallowly buried pig carcasses (Sus scrofa domesticus). In total 300 mites (88 species) were collected from three pig shallow graves compared to 129 mites (46 species) from control (bare) soil samples at the same depth. A successional pattern of Acari higher taxa and families was observed, and species richness and biodiversity fluctuated throughout decomposition, whereas active decay showed the greatest biodiversity. Mesostigmata mites were the most abundant in ‘cadaver soils’ with a significant difference in the abundance of Parasitidae mites, whereas Oribatida mites (true soil mites) were the most abundant in control soils. Certain mite species were significantly associated with decay stages: Cornigamasus lunaris with ‘bloated’, Gamasodes spiniger with ‘active’, Eugamasus sp. and Lorryia reticulata with ‘advanced’, and Macrocheles matrius and Ramusella clavipectinata in ‘dry’. Scheloribates laevigatus was a marker of bare soil at a shallow depth and Vulgoramasus remberti of buried decomposition, not specific to any decay stage. Analysis of mite assemblages associated with head, torso and posterior body showed that Parasitus evertsi and M. matrius are attracted to beneath the thighs, whereas L. reticulata to beneath the head. This study highlights the value of mites as indicator species of decomposition and its stages, confirming (1) a succession of Acari on buried remains and (2) species specificity to body regions.

The Effect of Different Coverings on Total Body Score Development of Buried Carcasses.

BackgroundExamination of post-mortem changes is one of the ways to assess decomposition process on buried bodies. Nonetheless, studies on such assessment are still lacking, especially on the effects of body coverings by different materials in burial conditions. The aim of this research is to study the effect of different types of covering towards decomposition on buried rabbit carcasses by using Total Body Score (TBS) system.MethodsTwenty-seven rabbit carcasses were divided into: (i) No Clothing; (ii) Thick Clothing and (iii) Plastic Wrapping groups, and buried into individual shallow graves. One subject was exhumed from first to ninth post-burial week and assessed by using TBS system.Results and DiscussionThere are significant differences among TBS between different coverings while controlling the time factor, F (2, 23) = 4.80, P < 0.05, partial η2 = 0.294. TBS score for Plastic Wrapping group is significantly lower than No Clothing group over times at α = 0.05, P < 0.05. The slightly delaying effect of thick clothing is caused by design of jacket, which allows arthropods access and microbial activity. Relatively strong delaying effect by plastic covering could be caused by impermeable property that caused accumulation of decompositional products and slow down the degradation.ConclusionIn conclusion, TBS system is a potential tool in describing rate of decomposition for buried cases in Malaysia.

The case of three burials - A forensic case book

The details of this case have been omitted in order to maintain anonymity.&#x0D; An elderly male was reported missing from his home by his family. Initially, an inquiry and missing person's docket was opened. On investigation, several suspicious findings, along with other emerging evidence led to the case being changed into one of kidnapping.&#x0D; Unbeknown to the investigating officers, around the same time a body had been found buried in a shallow grave about 200 kilometers from the missing person's home (First burial). The body had been taken to the state mortuary were a post-mortem was performed. At that stage there was no connection made to the missing person's case and after the body remained unclaimed, the corpse was given a pauper's funeral (Second burial).

Shallow graves; documenting & assessing IRA disappearances during the Irish revolution 1919–1923

ABSTRACT This article assesses the extent, geography and nature of ‘forced disappearances’ carried out by the Irish Republican Army during the Irish Revolution of 1919–1923. The victims were either Irish civilians suspected of being spies and informers working for British intelligence, or members of the British army and Royal Irish Constabulary. It reveals the scale of these secret killings as a phenomenon that developed in the context of the IRA’s military strategy during the Irish War of Independence. Disappearances continued at a far lower level during the Truce (largely in Co. Cork), and almost ceased during the Irish Civil War of 1922–1923. The study found that rather than being a nationwide military strategy forced disappearances were the initiative of local IRA units, with those in Co. Cork (notably Cork 1 Brigade), displaying a more ruthless attitude to this tactic than elsewhere. Civilian targets (the majority of whom were ex-soldiers) were usually assumed by the IRA to be dangerous British intelligence assets. This was also the case with many crown force targets, but others were simply opportunistic killings.

Murderer who spread table salt over his victim's corpse unintentionally preserved it from putrefaction

Adipocere is medico-legally exigent post-mortem change alternative to putrefaction. Sprinkling table salt over corpse to hasten disintegration and keep carnivores and nibblers off is a feature of ritualistic burial. We describe an unusual murder concealment wherein assailant put quantum of table salt over and around dead body while burying in jungle to hasten disintegration. Unexpected adipocere involving table salt preserved the body and firearm injuries. A mystifying thanatological aspect was the basic fact of table salt osmotically drawing even intrinsic body water needed for adipocere in non-damp conditions. It exceptionally formed in a week, and in a shallow grave, its formation in such conditions being very unusual and unreported.

The execution of the Romanov family at Yekatarinberg

The brutal execution of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife and five children at Yekaterinberg in July 1918 was followed by apparently inept attempts to conceal the bodies. Despite this, the skeletons remained undiscovered until 1979. Even after anthropological and DNA analyses, the absence of two of the children in the grave raised doubts as to the identity of the remains. The discovery of the skeletal fragments of a young woman aged between 18 to 25years and a boy aged between 10 to 14years in a shallow grave near the primary burial site in 2007 enabled full DNA investigations of the remains to be undertaken in association with analyses of living Romanov descendants. Autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) testing revealed the sex and familial relationships within the group, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing of the two hypervariable regions (HVI and HVII) showed links between the Tsar and Tsarina and living maternal relatives. The same point heteroplasmy in both the Tsar and his brother, Georgii provided further supportive evidence. There appears little doubt that the skeletal remains in the two graves outside Yekaterinburg are those of Tsar Nicholas, his wife and their five children. The genetic analyses and the features of the fragmented remains are all very consistent with the tragic story of the last days of the Romanov family and with the subsequent desecration and destruction of their bodies.

Rats

Rats Christina Stoddard (bio) A team in a lab trained rats to be terrified of the smell of cherry blossom,which took electric shocks and patience. It worked so well that when they bred the rats and piped a slight cherry scentinto the babies' cage, each new generation trampled one another in panic. A successful corruption in the code. I have feltsomething like this, my own ribosomes spliced for two hundred years with fear and obedience, a reverencethat I now struggle to leave burning behind me like a field, and when I finally gave in to the vowa man asked me to make, the weight of saying yes pressed down on my throat until it closed. In dreamsmy pioneer mothers turn me from side to side to assess my teeth and measure my hem. They followed a prophetover the plains until their shoes wore through, killing as they went and still calling themselves godly.Now that I am making a covenant worth twelve hundred miles of shallow graves and waist-highprairie grass, all my rag-wrapped ghosts [End Page 53] rise up from the banks of the North Platte and the Sweetwaterto offer best wishes, to tell me that heaven is mine again. But this ring I've agreed tois a bullying little prince. It yanks out my hair. Its pronged cathedral clogs with bread doughwhen I punch down the dome for a second resurrection. It slyly etches its likeness in granite and glassand I have never been careful with my hands. I can't stop clawing at its endless disaster,the flesh underneath growing welted and raw. From the kitchen window I can see our twin cherry trees,their branches just beginning to flower. [End Page 54] Christina Stoddard Christina Stoddard is the author of HIVE, which won the 2015 Brittingham Prize (University of Wisconsin Press) and was a finalist for the 2016 Washington State Book Award in poetry. She is from Tacoma, WA and has worked in the Czech Republic and Japan teaching English as a foreign language. She now lives in Nashville, TN where she is the managing editor of an economics journal. Her poems have appeared in Crab Orchard Review, Tupelo Quarterly, storySouth, and Iron Horse Literary Review, and she has been a finalist for Best of the Net. Christina is an Associate Editor at Tupelo Quarterly and Managing Editor at The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose, and Thought. www.christinastoddard.com. Copyright © 2020 Pleiades and Pleiades Press