Burial Types Research Articles

Archaeological investigation of burials preluded by ground penetrating radar and geospatial technologies

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-invasive and efficient scientific tool in burial analysis that can 'see the unseen,' answering both simple questions such as the existence and boundaries of burials, as well as more difficult questions like whether burials are intact or decayed. This paper reviews common reflection signatures associated with burials and applies the three fundamental GPR principles (dielectric contrast, scattering and polarity of reflections) to two distinct caseworks involving historical graves and civilian burials, which serve as benchmarks with known ground truth. It encompasses a third test case involving family tree research in a civilian cemetery, drawing upon the benchmarked results obtained from the first two caseworks. In adherence to geophysical signal reflection principles, our study discerns distinct hyperbolic traits associated with three burial types including intact shroud-wrapped, coffin burials, and decayed or mass-grave burials. A GPR-geospatial integration workflow incorporating GPR, aerial photogrammetry and global navigation satellite system - real time kinetics (GNSS-RTK), is derived to enhance the identification and investigation of burials using GPR. Our workflow encompasses a range of indicators for survey methods and burial classification, presenting a general framework for the systematic contextualization of tailored workflows to individual contexts. This work exemplifies the efficacy of GPR in the detection of burials that have been undisturbed for over a century in the soils of Hong Kong and how geophysics and geospatial science can address the limitations inherent in conventional desktop-based archaeological investigation. Its implications extend to professionals in diverse fields including historians, archaeologists, cemetery management officials, and even family members searching for their lost loved ones.

Tree in the Khakass Traditional Funeral Rites (Late 19<sup>th</sup> – Mid 20<sup>th</sup> Century)

Purpose. The sacralization of the tree and its involvement in ritual practice is one of the significant and widespread phenomena represented in the traditional culture of many peoples, including the Khakass. The life cycle of a person among this people ends with a funeral rite. The Khakass traditional funeral rite reflects the archaic ideas of people about the other world. Burial rituals were basically aimed at changing the semiotic status of a person and marked his transition from earthly life to otherness. Special importance in this process is given to the tree and its image.Results. The purpose of the article is to determine the place and function of the tree and its derivatives in the funeral rites of the Khakass. The chronological framework of the work is limited to the framework of the late 19th – 20th centuries. The choice of such time limits is determined by the state of the source base on the research topic. Ethnographic and folklore materials, both published and introduced into scientific circulation, served as a source base. Among folklore sources, heroic tales (alyptyg nymakhtar) are widely used, excerpts from which are presented for the first time in the author's translation in Russian. Leading in the study is the principle of historicism, when any cultural phenomenon is considered in development and considering a specific situation. The research methodology is based on historical and ethnographic methods: remnants (relic) and semantic analysis.Conclusion. As a result of the research, the author concludes that the tree and its image were given great importance in the Khakass traditional funeral rite. The specified plant had a wide semantic field, which included the idea of it as: an afterlife means of transportation – a boat / raft, a “world tree”, the sacred path of the human soul, the dwelling of the deceased, an apotropaic object, etc. In the traditional culture of the people under consideration, two main types of human burials have been identified: underground and aerial. In both cases, an integral ritual element of the funeral is a tree in its various manifestations and combinations.

Taphonomy of human burials on beacon Island: archaeological observations informing forensic interpretations

ABSTRACT This paper demonstrates how the complex interaction of a number of intrinsic and extrinsic taphonomic factors have differentially affected the relative preservation of the skeletal remains recovered from Beacon Island. These include: local geology and hydrology; flora and fauna; human interactions; and burial type (e.g. body position and number). The latter function to demonstrate that contemporary burials dating to 1629 can present markedly divergent taphonomic ‘alterations’, even those buried within close proximity to one-another. It is evident that alterations can arise in a very short-time frame (months to a few years) and their recognition in a modern context is thus of forensic relevance. These are accordingly illustrated and described relative to their potential to inform forensic interpretations in a modern case-work context.

Shrouded in history: Unveiling the ways of life of an early Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal (8th- 10th century AD).

In around 716 AD, the city of Santarém, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2-8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santarém (8th- 10th century). In this study, skeletal material from 58 adult individuals was analysed for stable carbon (δ13Ccol; δ13Cap), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulphur (δ34S) isotope ratios in bones, and stable oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13Cen) and radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopes in tooth enamel. The results of this study revealed a dietary pattern of predominantly C3-plant and domestic C3-fed herbivore consumption during adulthood (δ13Ccol and δ15N, respectively) but a higher proportion of C4-plant input during childhood (δ13Cen) for some individuals-interpreted as possible childhood consumption of millet porridge, a common practice in North Africa-in those with unorthodox burial types (Groups 1 and 2) that was not practiced in the individuals with canonical burials (Group 3). In this first mobility study of a medieval Muslim population in Portugal, δ18ODW values revealed greater heterogeneity in Groups 1 and 2, consistent with diverse origins, some in more humid regions than Santarém when compared to regional precipitation δ18O data, contrasting the more homogenous Group 3, consistent with the local precipitation δ18O range. Ancient DNA analysis conducted on three individuals revealed maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages compatible with a North African origin for (at least) some of the individuals. Additionally, mobility of females in this population was higher than males, potentially resulting from a patrilocal social system, practiced in Berber and Arab communities. These results serve to offer a more detailed insight into the ancestry and cultural practices of early Muslim populations in Iberia.

A burial ‘alla cappuccina’ discovered on the north-western outskirts of Victoria, Gozo

As ancient burials constitute the bulk of archaeological evidence in the Maltese islands due to their degree of preservation and survival, the general typology of ancient tombs in these islands is quite well known. However, one type of ancient burial seems to stand out for its uniqueness in the Maltese islands, even though it seems to have been widespread in the Roman world. This is the burial known as ‘alla cappuccina’: a very simple burial that employs slabs or tiles set gable wise to cover the corpse beneath. Surviving documentation provides meagre representation of this burial type in the Maltese islands. So far, it had only been documented once in Gozo with another possible instance from Malta. Another burial of the same kind was discovered in Gozo in 1933. Yet, for some reason, it failed to attract any attention to the effect that it was only unofficially documented by means of a contemporary newspaper article. It is thanks to the latter, however, that the poor corpus of this type of burial in the Maltese islands is being enriched with another, better documented example. The current contribution also seeks to move a step further by putting this burial not only in its regional context, but also within the wider context of the contemporary Mediterranean and Roman world.

조선 후기 인골의 체질인류학 및 골화학 분석을 통한 질병과 식생활 연구

This study aims to examine the disease and diet of people in the Gyeonggi area in the late Joseon Period based on the morphological and chemical analysis of human remains from an archaeological context. The human remains contain information on individual health and diet. In this study, we applied physical anthropological analysis and stable isotope analysis to understand the disease and diet of individuals from the late Joseon period. As a result, the physical and pathological characteristics of the study group were summarized into three. First, the life expectancy of the study group was under 50 years. Second, osteoarthritis was evenly high in the study group regardless of gender and age. Third, Dental caries and enamel hypoplasia were identified with high frequency in the study group. According to these results, we inferred high labor intensity, poor dental care, and childhood nutritional imbalance of people in the Gyeonggi area in the late Joseon Period. Next, the dietary characteristics of the study group were summarized into two. First, the study group’s diet was highly dependent on C3 plants. Second, the statistical comparison showed no difference in diet between several factors (Sex, age, disease, burial type, excavated site). The results showed that dietary variations in the late Joseon Period were small, depending on several domesticated crops. And this dietary pattern is very common in an agricultural society that relies on a small number of cultivated crops.

THE ROLE OF 14C DATING IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF MISSING PERSONS IN CYPRUS

ABSTRACT The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is a bicommunal committee with the mandate to locate and identify the skeletal remains of 2002 persons who were reported missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963–64, as well as the events of July and August 1974. During the periods of conflict, several archaeological sites and old cemeteries were used as primary burial sites, among several other types of burials, as they were easily accessed by the persons involved in the interment and little effort was needed to conceal the bodies. The relatively large post-mortem interval and the generally poor post-mortem preservation of the skeletal remains poses an additional challenge in the forensic examination process and the identification of the remains, particularly in the absence of a context or other associated artifacts/evidence. Between 2016 and 2020, the CMP has been collaborating with CEDAD to clarify the relevancy of several cases by using radiocarbon dating. The CMP submitted 139 cases to CEDAD out of which 112 were determined as not linked to the 1963–64 and 1974 events and then not relevant for the CMP project. For the remaining samples radiocarbon dating was used to determine death age.

On Cemetery Hill: The legacy of burials at Clemson University, a public university in the southern USA

AbstractGround‐penetrating radar (GPR) was used to map anomalies characteristic of unmarked graves on the grounds of the modern Woodland Cemetery on the campus of Clemson University. Hundreds of these anomalies are believed to represent newly discovered unmarked graves belonging to African Americans including enslaved people, convicted laborers, sharecroppers, domestic workers, tenant farmers and wage workers, who contributed to the wealth of the Fort Hill Plantation or to building and maintaining the university. These burials appear to be in an organized arrangement indicating the presence of a burial ground where the graves would have been marked at the time of internment. Analyses of reflections from the bottom of the grave shaft detected horizontal bases as well as possible chambered and vaulted burials, a common vernacular burial type among African Americans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A fewer number of graves showed hyperbolic reflections that can be produced by graves that contain coffins or a large artefact. This may indicate burial practices that changed over time or the status of the interred individual. The estimated length of the grave shaft in GPR grid data suggests that small adults or adolescents made up most of the burials (58%), then adults (28%) and infants and children (13%). In 1924, Woodland Cemetery was developed on Cemetery Hill, which had its first recorded burial in 1837. Plots were then gifted to prominent University leaders, faculty, staff and their families. The unmarked burials were found juxtaposed among these modern graves requiring modification of the current protocol for the operating cemetery to preserve the sacred space and to prevent destruction of these burials. This work affirms ongoing efforts by this public university to address its origins from a plantation and segregation in the American South.

The Black Death in Hereford, England: A demographic analysis of the Cathedral 14th-century plague mass graves and associated parish cemetery.

This study explores the paleoepidemiology of the Black Death (1348-52 AD) mass graves from Hereford, England, via osteological analysis. Hereford plague mortality is evaluated in the local context of the medieval city and examined alongside other Black Death burials. The Hereford Cathedral site includes mass graves relating to the Black Death and a 12th-16th century parish cemetery. In total, 177 adult skeletons were analyzed macroscopically: 73 from the mass graves and 104 from the parish cemetery. Skeletal age-at-death was assessed using transition analysis, and sex and stress markers were analyzed. The age-at-death distributions for the mass graves and parish cemetery were significantly different (p = 0.0496). Within the mass graves, young adults (15-24 years) were substantially over-represented, and mortality peaked at 25-34 years. From 35 years of age onwards, there was little variation in the mortality profiles for the mass graves and parish cemetery. Males and females had similar representation across burial types. Linear enamel hypoplasia was more prevalent within the mass graves (p = 0.0340) whereas cribra orbitalia and tibial periostitis were underrepresented. Mortality within the Hereford mass graves peaked at a slightly older age than is seen within plague burials from London, but the overall profiles are similar. This demonstrates that young adults were disproportionately at risk of dying from plague compared with other age groups. Our findings regarding stress markers may indicate that enamel hypoplasia is more strongly associated with vulnerability to plague than cribra orbitalia or tibial periostitis.

Method for calculating the uplift capacity of a circular anchor plate at arbitrary depth in sand

Methods for calculating the uplift capacity of horizontal anchor plates have the problem of artificially distinguishing shallow and deep buried types in advance, but the classification standards differ greatly. Based on the application of digital photographic measurement technology in experiment, this paper focuses on a theoretical method for calculating the uplift capacity of horizontal anchor plate in sand at arbitrary depth without distinguishing shallow and deep burial types. The results show that the sliding surface in the soil extends to ground surface in approximately a straight oblique line at shallow burial depths, then gradually confined within the soil as a balloon shape as the burial depth increases, and further shrinks toward the anchor plate. This change of sliding surface has no absolute boundary but undergoes continuous evolution, and can be described by a morphological function of logarithmic spiral line, which is used to develop a unified mechanical model, and a theoretical method for calculating uplift capacity is deduced and established. The new mechanical model well reflects the continuous variation of the sliding surface, and comparison with other four methods on 8 experimental cases show that the new calculation method has good adaptability for different types of burial depths.

The effect of coupling of tectonic compression and overpressure on porosity of deep reservoirs: a case study of southern margin of Junggar Basin, northwest China

The majority of high quality clastic reservoirs in the foreland basins, northwest China have anomalously high primary porosity. The intensive tectonic compression, overburden and overpressure importantly impact on the deep reservoir quality in the foreland basins, and that very little research had been so far conducted on this topic. Only considering mechanical compaction without chemical diagenesis, various geological models of tectonic compression, overpressure and porosity were simulated using a comprehensive numerical model. Based on the simulations, the influences of the coupling tectonic compression and overpressure on porosity in deep reservoirs are quantitatively discussed. A case study using a representative well in the thrust belt of the Junggar foreland basin is simulated. The results show that the porosity formed from the early-middle slow burial and late rapid burial type is higher than the almost constant burial type and the early rapid burial and then slow burial type, when the overpressure is formed by the three burial types couple with the same tectonic compression. Importantly, overpressure formed during the early-middle slow burial and late rapid burial type in concert with tectonic compression best preserves high porosity within reservoirs. Either increasing tectonic compression stress early at constant overpressure or increasing the tectonic compression stress at a relative late stage and increasing reservoir overpressure can contribute to porosity loss. The porosity decreases more rapidly in the former case. The later the tectonic compression was applied, the more rapidly porosity of the reservoir decreased. Therefore, late stage tectonic compression accompanied by overpressure has the largest influence on the porosity. The porosity of the Qigu Formation in the well Ds1 in the south margin of Junggar Basin, for example, was decreased by 0.88% in response to intensive tectonic compression in the late Himalayan orogeny. However, porosity formed by overpressure suppression and preservation in the reservoir is 3.66%. So, in addition to vertical compaction and diagenesis, the influence of tectonic compression and overpressure should also be considered in the study of deep reservoir porosity evolution in foreland basin. This study can be helpful for deeply understanding the evolution rule of deep reservoir porosity in foreland basin.

중서부지역 주구토광묘의 전개양상과 지역성

In this study, the ‘pit tomb with ditch’ built around them in midwestern regions were collectively referred to as ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’, and tried to understand the development and characteristics of ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’ in the Proto-Three Kingdoms period.
 First of all, 15 types were derived by combining the elements of burial facility, mound, ditches, and burial type. which were judged to be the components showing the characteristics of the ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’. And based on the artifacts that show remarkable changes over time, the creation period of the ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’ was divided into three periods, and the appearance, development and regionality of the ‘Jugutogwangmyo’ were examined.
 As a result, the ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’ in the mid-western region was a tomb that appeared due to the introduction of a new burial concept of creating a large mound and had the essential characteristics of wooden coffin, mound, and ditches, It was confirmed that it appeared in the mid-western region in the mid-2nd century AD.
 Since then, The spread of ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’ throughout the Midwest region saw the adoption of new burial facilities such as partitioned wooden coffins, detached wooden coffins, and wooden chambers. Horizontal expansion aspects, such as the joint expansion of ditches or joint burials, and vertical expansion aspects, such as multi-burial burials within mounds, also appeared. These factors differed according to each region and regional center. The burial artifacts were largely divided into two parts: the inland areas and the west coast area, but burial artifacts with regional characteristics were also identified for each regional center.
 Through this, the background of the establishment and development of the central and western regions ‘Jugu-Togwangmyo’ can be largely attributed to the influx of cultural and human resources through the major transportation routes of the inland areas and coastal area. It can also be seen that selective cultural adoption occurred through a sort of choice by accepting specific artifacts based on the circumstance of each regional center.
 This shows that the society in the central and western regions during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period was very dynamic, and the regional centers identified here can also be related to the location of Mahan's small state.

Sustainable Death? Promoting Adoption of Green Passing

Death practices are a highly individual and sensitive, but also strongly social and socially regulated issue. Passing rituals and types of burials have developed over centuries, and their significant environmental cost is rarely discussed. In this paper, we propose an intervention that aims to open up the conversation about green passing practices and help reduce the environmental impact of current death practices in the United Kingdom. We used the multilayered installation design approach, leveraging activity theory and installation theory to identify relevant stakeholders and entry points for intervention. We then developed a holistic intervention strategy subsumed under the green passer Initiative, which proposes intervention into burial practices at the physical, social, and embodied level. We illustrate the intervention strategy with three ideal-type journeys of future green passers and outline relevant implications for policy makers, researchers, and the general public.

Postmortem treatment of preterm infants at the Gangshang site during the Late Neolithic period, Shandong Province, China

AbstractJar burial is a particular burial practice generally used in the Neolithic period of China. However, the rarity of finding prenatal individuals limits the ability to study their treatment in jar burial contexts. In this paper, to study the postmortem treatment of this specific age further, we focus on three jar burials of infant individuals excavated in 2021 at the Gangshang site in China, where the skeletal remains were relatively well preserved. The skeletal remains of three well‐preserved individuals are presented into inverted ceramic tripods near the residential area and with a crouched posture. In terms of this condition, we apply the osteometric method to estimate the range and mean of age at death for each individual investigated. Meanwhile, we use micro‐computed tomography (CT) scans to help judge the degree of microbial bioerosion. Besides, histological analysis on skeletal remains combined with the Oxford Histological Index (OHI) assessment allows us to estimate the developmental stage at the time of death by analyzing the results of micro‐CT scans. By using osteometric methods, the results show that the gestational age of the three individuals is 22–26, 24–28, and 22–26 weeks, respectively. The results of the micro‐CT scans indicate that all three fetuses died shortly after birth, or had died in their mother's uterus before birth, with the OHI score of 5. Moreover, we indeed observe infant skeleton remains with no bacterial bioerosion, indicating that it is effective using this method to judge the developmental stage at the time of death with a specific taphonomic environment in the Gangshang site of the Dawenkou culture period. Combined with the placement of the jars in which the three infants were buried, it is believed that this unique placement method was intentional and specific to the infant deaths. These results are instructive for exploring the postmortem treatment of dead infants by ancient residents of the Dawenkou culture period (4200 bc–2600 bc) in Shandong Province, China, and the significance and possible causes of the unique burial type.

A new carriage grave and horse burial from Belvárdgyula (Baranya county)

This study discusses the discovery and excavation of a particularly fascinating Roman Period burial representing a rare mortuary rite alongside its preliminary assessment. The burial was discovered by a local archaeology enthusiast on the outskirts of Belvárdgyula: the following excavation in autumn 2021 brought to light a grave pit containing a carriage with a horse team and the burial of a harnessed saddle horse. The carriage is noteworthy not only for its Bacchic bronze sculptural ornamentation and its structural elements but also because of the burial mode involving the partial deposition of carriage components and the yoke, enabling the reconstruction of the horse team. The horse burial provided yet another example of a Pannonian saddle horse interred with an openwork bronze harness fitting set. Both graves yielded a surprisingly high amount of organic remains (wood, leather, and textile) that have enriched our knowledge of the period’s horse harnesses and team-drawn carriages. The burials uncovered at Belvárdgyula have added new details to our overall picture of the local native population of eastern Transdanubia, particularly regarding carriage graves, a distinctive burial type that differs markedly from the funerary rites of Roman-type interments.

Re-examination of South Korean Bronze Age Cremation Burial Types

Re-examination of South Korean Bronze Age Cremation Burial Types

Research Results of Mongolian Burial Sites in the Territory of Modern Mongolia

Since the 1950s, medieval burial sites in Mongolia have been systematically excavated. Among them, tombs belonging to the period of the formation and further expansion of the Mongol Empire have been identified. This article presents an overview of the excavations of such graves that have been carried out. Mongolian and foreign specialists were involved in these activities. The archaeological teams of the Soviet-Mongolian Historical and Cultural Expedition led by A.P. Okladnikov made a major contribution. About 700 medieval burials at over 100 sites have been excavated in Mongolia to date. Not all the results, however, have been published to date. Three main types of burials have been identified: aristocratic graves, burial mounds of common nomads and rock burials. The presented historiographical review makes it possible to identify four stages in the study of medieval burial complexes in Mongolia. The available material provides an opportunity to carry out a large programme of modern, comprehensive research. The results will give substance to various aspects of life and activities of the nomads of Inner Asia during the developed Middle Ages. It will be important to compare such data with written and pictorial sources.

Forgotten excavations in Sinai: Al-Qantarah Necropolis (season 1981)

The current report related to the archeological work at Al-Qantarah Sharq necropolis in 1981 (17 May – 2 June), this funerary complex is located about 650 m to the east of Suez Canal, in a pure sand dune area. Due to the expansion of residential buildings of the city, SCA team started the archaeological investigations for a better understanding of the limits of the Greco-Roman necropolis. Since 1910, the archeological investigation started at different parts of the village. Season 1981 revealed different types of burials; these included double-vessel coffins, simple limestone grave, mud-brick lined grave, limestone anthropoid sarcophagi and a limestone tomb with vaulted ceiling and mud-brick shaft. The burials were very poor in conditions and funerary artifacts.

Talking Dead. New burials from Tron Bon Lei (Alor Island, Indonesia) inform on the evolution of mortuary practices from the terminal Pleistocene to the Holocene in Southeast Asia.

Burial elaborations are a human behaviour that, in recent contexts can inform on social diversification, belief systems, and the introduction of new practices resulting from migration or cultural transmission. The study of mortuary practices in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia has revealed complex and diverse treatments of the deceased. This paper contributes to this topic with the description of three new burials excavated in Tron Bon Lei (Alor Island, Indonesia) dated to 7.5, 10, and 12 kya cal BP. In addition to the bioskeletal profiles and palaeohealth observations, we propose the adoption of archaeothanatological methods to characterise burial types in the region. Through the analysis of skeletal element representation, body position, articulation, and grave associations, we provide an example of a holistic approach to mortuary treatments in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Our results provide significant new data for understanding the evolution and diversification of burial practices in Southeast Asia, contributing to a growing body of literature describing prehistoric socio-cultural behaviour in this region.

Histological and stable isotope analysis of archeological bones from St. Rombout's cemetery (Mechelen, Belgium): Intrasite, intraindividual, and intrabone variability

AbstractThis study compares histological preservation in archeological bones from different burial types to unravel the histotaphonomy‐to‐funerary practices relationship. Αn intraskeletal approach is also adopted to explore intraindividual (inner ear part of the petrous bone vs. upper/lower limb long bones) and intrabone (proximal vs. distal diaphysis) variability in bone collagen preservation, δ13C, and δ15N. The aim is to (a) target bones that likely retain higher amounts of collagen, (b) better understand the inner ear bone collagen isotopic signature and remodeling, and (c) assess intrabone isotopic and histological homogeneity. For the histological analysis, the data have been collected from 61 specimens (20 individuals) from the medieval/postmedieval cemetery of St. Rombout, Belgium. Thin sections have been studied using optical and scanning electron microscopy. For the collagen and isotopic data, 101 samples have been collected from 21 individuals. Distinct histological patterns are observed only in bones from single coffin burials; however, bone histology can display intraindividual and intrabone variability, which are important to account for interpretations. Collagen wt.%, δ13C, and δ15N show significant intraindividual differences but insignificant intrabone variability. This study also confirms the extraordinary nature of the petrous bone, as the inner ear bone collagen δ13C and δ15N values reflect the dietary input of the first approximately 2–3 years of life.