Urn Burial Research Articles

Over the river and into the hills: locals and non-locals at Inzersdorf, a late Bronze Age cemetery in the Traisen Valley (Austria)

The Late Bronze Age is characterized by the increasing homogenization of material culture and the prevalence of urn burials. The cemetery of Inzersdorf, located in the Lower Traisen Valley, Austria, is used to investigate whether changes in burial practices during the Late Bronze Age were locally driven or influenced by external factors. This study interprets strontium isotope data from 215 calcined human bone samples in the context of a local baseline established from 163 modern plant samples (55 locations) within a 10 km radius of Inzersdorf. Complementary Correspondence Analysis and 14C dates were used to identify chronological changes. The high-density sampling carried out in the Traisen Valley for bioavailable strontium (BASr) enabled the differentiation of people who mainly sourced their food from the valley or the hills. A diachronic shift in land use was identified, with the main food resource obtained from the hills for the earlier and the valley providing most of the foods for the later phase of the cemetery, which is more distinct in men than in women. Five individuals with isotopic values that differed from the main population were identified, one of which has an 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7061 falling below the BASr baseline created with the modern plant data. While the latter may indicate metal-related travel, the other four individuals may be interpreted as inhabitants of single farmsteads. Additionally, an individual with a significant shift in isotopic values between the petrous bone and long bone was identified, indicating changing local food sources over the individual’s life.

Changes in the Perception of Cemeteries as Public Spaces - Swiss Cemetery Visitors From 2002 to 2021.

Background: A process of "emptying" can be observed in Swiss cemeteries. Urn burials are increasingly preferred to traditional interments, requiring much less space. Consequently, cemeteries are gradually transforming into park-like areas, triggering debates about proactive ways to use them as public spaces, rather than mourning sites. Objectives and Method: The study presented here probes for changes in the public perception of Bern cemeteries during the last two decades. The long-term analysis is based on a secondary analysis of interviews with 383 cemetery visitors in 2002 and a representative survey among 519 inhabitants of the city of Bern. Results: Tolerance for alternative land use increased further: Motivations for cemetery visits have shifted with a decline from 80% who mentioned 'grave visit' to 63% in 2021; 'leisurely walk' increased from 63% to 83%. High satisfaction with what cemeteries have to offer is mirrored in high values for perceived restorativeness in 2021.

Bronze Anthropomorphic Figurines from the Sacrificial Pits of Sanxingdui

This work gives a description of bronze figurines from the second sacrificial pit of Sanxingdui and their classification according to the affinity to different categories of ritual bronzes whose details they initially were. The classification helped to attribute small anthropomorphic images to one of the, earlier isolated by the author, stages of the technological evolution of Sanxingdui art of bronze casting from the JK2 sacrificial pit. Therefore, the chronologically meaningful typology of bronze figurines from the second sacrificial pit was constructed. As a result, the following groups of figurines were isolated: 1) figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees”, 2) figurines that were details of the so-called “sacred altar” (“altar of spirits”), 3) figurines holding two-horned flat sceptres in their hands, 4) figurines kneeling on pedestals. Figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees” belong to the first and second stages of the technological evolution of bronzes from the JK2 sacrificial pit. The sets of three figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees” no. 2 and no. 3 represent in each case only one personage, so it can be seen from every side of the tree. All the figurines from the “sacred altar” must be dated to the third stage of the technological evolution of bronzes from JK2 like the artifact being discussed. Analogies to figurines from the “sacred altar” can be found among jades from the urn burials of Xiaojiawuji cemetery belonging to the late Neolithic Shijiahe culture of Hubei province. Bronze figurines also give an opportunity to reconstruct garments of the ancient inhabitants of Sanxingdui.

Funerary Practices at Pyu Sites in Myanmar and the Appearance of Buddhist Artifacts from the Fifth to Sixth Century CE Period

Abstract: An ongoing research question in Myanmar (Burma) is to what extent, and in what specific part of the first millennium CE, traces of Buddhism from India can be observed in the early urban “Pyu” culture. Burial urns feature significantly in the archaeological record, but they do not have any specifically Buddhist features. Some funerary shrines feature a brick plinth at one end. If these were bases for stūpas or Buddha images, then Indian influence could be attributed as early as the second–third century CE period. No evidence has yet been found of what these plinths carried. A later burial complex, dated by radiocarbon to the sixth–seventh century period, included Buddhist “votive tablets.” In another architectural form, the reliquary stūpa, we find a Buddhist practice directly comparable to Indian practices of the early-to-mid first millennium CE. On the evidence of paleography and art history, the Pyu Buddhist stūpas may have been operational in the fifth–sixth century CE period. The earliest radiocarbon date range for a building containing Buddhist material is also the fifth–sixth century.

The Huangshan Neolithic site in Nanyang, Henan

Abstract The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, in conjunction with the Nanyang Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, carried out excavations across an area of 2400m2 at the Huangshan site in Nanyang City from May 2018 to January 2022. The site spans various cultural periods, ranging from the Yangshao and Qujialing to Shijiahe cultures. The excavation uncovered a wide variety of structures and artifacts, including one dock, one section of a canal, 48 houses and stone/jade workshops, 157 tombs, eight sacrificial pits, and more than 140 urn burials. As many as 45,000 jade/stone artifacts was also unearthed. These findings confirm that Huangshan was a core settlement bounded by waterways and specialized in large-scale production of stone/jade objects. The excavation also revealed natural transportation waterways connecting the site to the well-known jade quarry of Dushan Mountain. This significant discovery fills a gap in current understandings of Neolithic jade production sites in the Central Plains and middle Yangtze River region.

The Amulets from the Carthaginian tophet

Abstract Amulets found in burial urns of the Carthaginian tophet are discussed in terms of frequency of occurrence, and the nature and chronology of their material composition. Amulets were added in only 31 % of the urns studied, exclusively to urns containing human remains, with glass, faience, gold and silver the most common materials used. Chemical analysis of a selection of glass and silver amulets identified the primary origin of raw materials used in their manufacture. The primary glass used for the tophet amulets has its origin in the Levant and/or Egypt, from at least two different production centers in those regions. This does not exclude the likely existence of local secondary workshops where primary glass was colored and shaped. The silver in the amulets shows a diachronic shift in raw materials usage, from western Mediterranean sources in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE to eastern Mediterranean sources (possibly combined with Iberian sources) in the sixth and fifth centuries. Some objects could be positively linked to sources in Laurion/Kea and Siphnos, while others may have derived from the mixing of ores or the recycling of older materials.

WOODEN CONSTRUCTIONS IN THE BARROWS OF THE RAIKY CULTURE: GENESIS, ANALOGIES, SEMANTICS

Wooden constructions of various types were found in the barrow cremation burials of the Raiky culture of the 8th—10th centuries. People of this culture were the Slavic tribes of the Right Bank of the Dnieper, Volynia, and Dniester River regions. The burnt rectangular constructions made of horizontal logs (Mezhyrichky, Velyka Horbasha and Radastst in Polesie) were the most widespread. Burial chambers from the Don River basin (Borshevo culture) or Transylvania are usually cited as parallels. However, in terms of typology, wooden constructions spread over the territory of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and East Germany are much closer. They are considered as models of residential buildings — «houses of the dead».
 Circular fences made of burnt pillars are less common (Holovne and Mylanovichi in Volynia). It is believed that they were supposed to separate the World of the Living from the World of the Dead.
 Most of the barrows from the Chornivka (Bukovina) and Dobrostany (Roztocze) cemeteries had the pillar holes on the periphery. This element which has usually been overlooked by researchers is also widely known in West Slavic lands: modern Czech archaeologists even consider the burials of this type to be dominated in the territory of Bohemia. It is believed that burial urns were placed on the pillars because around them on the surface of the mound the burnt bones and fragments of ceramics were often recorded. Thus, the words of the Old Rus chronicler who described the burial of pagan Slavs «on a pillar by the roads» should be understood quite literally. The recording of such burials during archaeological excavations causes understandable difficulties.
 In general, in the area of the Raiky culture, there can be counted at least one and a half dozen mound burials with the remains of wooden structures. The homogeneity of constructions demonstrates the common worldviews that were widespread in the 8th—10th centuries among the Slavs from the Elba to the Dnieper.

The features of the Сalchaqui ceramic vessels: technology of producing and ornamentation

The problem of the interplay between manufacturing technology, vessel construction elements and surface treatment often attracts the attention of archaeologists studying ancient ceramics. The MAE RAS collection includes a number of ceramics vessels obtained during excavations of the La Paya site (province of Salta, northwest Argentina). The settlement was founded by the Diaguita-Calchaqui Indians at the end of the first millennium and existed in 9–16 centuries AD. An important part of this archaeological complex was excavated at the beginning of the 20th century by the Argentine archaeologist, founder and first director of the Ethnographic Museum in Buenos Aires, J. B. Ambrosetti. The most part of the La Paya complex was presented by hand-molded ceramic vessels, which were a characteristic part of Calchaqui’s funeral rituals. Burials in cists were found within the stone wall surrounding the site, as well as in the territory of the necropolis adjoining it from the west. The ceramic complex of La Paya consists of a significant number of bowls, characterized by a high level of morphological diversity. Bowls of different shapes were made either as independent vessels or as components of complex forms. At the same time, the funerary urns and the bowls associated with them have a stable pattern of ornamentation. In the article the data on technology of manufacturing and ornamentation of the La Paya vessels is presented and some historiographical and mythological subjects, which can be useful for understanding new features of construction and ornamentation of the Calchaqui ceramic bowls and burial urns, are analyzed.

Environmental risk of (heavy) metal release from urns into cemetery soils

Cremation of the deceased has become the most common funeral type in many countries in the world, including Germany. The ashes of the cremated human body (cremains) are transferred in an urn and most commonly buried in the soil. However, the possible environmental impacts of cremains on soils and groundwater have been rarely studied. In this context, it is still unclear whether or not the release of (heavy) metals like chromium, zinc, copper, nickel and lead from cremains and urns poses an environmental problem in urn grave soils.The aims of the study were to analyze the (heavy) metal content of two cremains from a 74-year-old male and 70-year-old female, and of soils in 6 cemeteries with urn graves in North and West Germany. Soil samples were taken from below the burial depth of 42 urns (upon expiry of the resting time) and from reference soils without urn burials (same cemetery site and depth).The two cremains differed significantly in their heavy metal content (zinc, nickel, copper, chromium), which originated from metal components of the deceased's clothing or burial objects or may have resulted from contrasting occupational exposure during the deceased's lives. Investigations at the cemetery sites revealed a high variability in (heavy) metal contents in the soil samples from below the buried urns. As expected, the accumulation of some element (e.g., lead and tin) in the soil increased with a higher degradation degree of the urns, but an enrichment in copper, chromium, nickel, and iron was also detected below only slightly corroded but not yet perforated urns, which were often made out of copper-bearing material and other alloying agents. This demonstrated that heavy metal releases into cemetery soils originated from both cremains and urn material.

Where Different Waters Met: Aspects on the Apollo Grannus vase and its position near Sagån in the province of Västmanland

At some time during the Late Roman Iron Age, an originally provincial-Roman vessel called the Apollo Grannus vase was used as a burial urn in a stone-setting at Fycklinge in the province ofVästmanland, on the bank of Sagån by the small rapids where this stream met the sea. In an attempt to understand why this particular vessel was used in this way at this particular place, the author discusses the characteristics ofthe area, of certain vessels and their associations with rebirth/regeneration, the provincial-Roman god Apollo Grannus (associated with fertility and water), the process of creolization, and cremation as part of a process of transformation.

Hindu urn burial in Norway: an option for the future?

ABSTRACT Is open pyre cremation and ash dispersion in running water the universal default disposal for Hindus? Images of open pyre cremation and ash dispersion at the banks of the river Ganges still perpetuate our popular Orientalist perceptions of Hindu disposal; an ancient, exotic and unchanging traditional practice. However, such perceptions obscure the empirical reality. Hindu funeral practice in South Asia as well as in diaspora, have been in constant flux, regulated and changing greatly during the last century. Inhumation has been a major alternative to cremation for Hindus in South Asia and in diaspora during the last century. In this paper, I highlight a few novel examples of recent establishment of Hindu urn burial sections within municipal cemeteries in Norway. These cases show a continuation of traditional Hindu funeral practice in South Asia, as well as change and innovation adopted in Norway. However, none of the 300 urn graves within the two established Hindu cemetery sections in Norway have been utilised so far. What are the underlying factors for Hindu urn burial which renders the option non-compliance? Why do the majority of Hindus in Norway continue to opt for dispersion of ashes in their land of origin or in Norway?

Order in chaos. Spatial analysis of cremated human remains in urn urials from Podlesie, site 5, Oleśnica Commune, Świętokrzyskie voivodeship

A sample of six cremated graves from the Lusatian Culture cemetery from Podlesie, site 5, has been subjected to a spatial analysis aimed at recognising anatomical provenance of bone fragments within the layers of the urn burial. Even though individual features have shown damage ranging from slight to severe, most of the burials have shown an indication of a repeated pattern, with skull fragments predominantly present in the upper layers (Chi2 = 43.968, df = 16, p < 0.001) and lower limb fragments accumulated in the lower parts of the urn (Chi2 = 28.635, df = 16, p = 0.027). In the case of the torso (the term used to describe postcranial axial skeletal fragments together with pectoral and pelvic girdles’ elements) and upper limb, the analysis has not shown statistically significant distribution between the layers. The analysis confirmed the advantage of the proposed method in determining the presence of the so-called ‘anatomical order’ within cremation burials.

Чехословацький період археології Закарпаття

The paper is devoted to the results of studies of ancient history on the territory of contemporary Transcarpathian province of Ukraine during the period of it being a part of Czechoslovakia (1919–1939). It was an important stage of establishment of Transcarpathian archaeological science which began its development in the middle of the 19th century from simple collecting of antiquities. In 1929 a county museum was opened in Mukachevo which became an important centre of collection, systematization, and museumification of local artifacts. During that period the ancient history of the region was studied by Czechoslovak archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. Among them, one should name J. Bem, J. Skutil, and J. Eisner. They carried out excavations of archaeological artifacts of the region from different epochs: Paleolithic, Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Ages, Early Iron Age. Due to the efforts of J. Bem collection of Transcarpathian antiquities was systematized, chronology and cultural attribution of numerous material findings were determined. He participated in the excavations at Neolithic and Eneolithic settlements in Nevetlenfolu (Vynohradiv district) and Diyda (Berehovo district) as well as Mala Hora in Mukachevo. Results of the studies enable one to conclude that in the Neolithic epoch this territory was within the area where the culture of linear band pottery was spread. Bearers of this culture practised mattock arable farming, cattle breeding, worshipped the foremother woman. The Stone Age artifacts on the territory of the region were studied by J. Skutil. In the neighbourhood of Berehovo (Mala Hora) and Mukachevo (Kamyanka and Halish hills), he examined a number of Paleolithic locations where he collected several dozens of chalcedony and quartzite objects. They are attributed to the middle and late Paleolithic Age. Local antiquities were also studied by local amateur archaeologists, J. Jankovich, Zatloukal brothers, P. Sova. Having acquired necessary knowledge and recommendations from the Czechoslovak researchers for field studies and documentation of the materials found, they joined the studies of artifacts of an extensive time span – from the Stone Age till Early Mediaeval period. J. Jankovich with the participation of J. Bem performed excavations at a burial mound of the early Iron Age in the village of Kushtanovytsia (Mukachevo district). Two ways of the location of cremation remnants in urns under the mound were documented: at the old level and below it. In 1931 he began the investigation of Slavic mound necropolis in Cherveniovo (Mukachevo district). The excavations revealed cremation burial sites with remnants positioned in urns at the old level or gathered in clusters. The Zatloukal brothers carried out excavations of a ground cremation necropolis in Stanovo (Mukachevo district). The remnants were buried in shallow pits without any external signs and were accompanied by two-three bowls filled with food or favourite things of the decedent. In literature, they are referred to as the Northern-Tysa urn burials of the Late Bronze Age. Key words: settlement, Transcarpathia, burial tomb, Czechoslovakian period.

Cases of endocranial lesions on juvenile skeletons from Longshan cultural sites in Henan Province, China

Endocranial lesions were recognized on eight out of the 31 juveniles (25.8%) that were recovered from three Neolithic archaeological sites in Henan province. The remains of juveniles were recovered from urn burials at the Jiazhuang site (2200–2030 BCE) and graves at the Pingliangtai (2300–2100 BCE) and Haojiatai sites (2448–1700 BCE). The presence of endocranial lesions on all eight of these juvenile skulls was associated with a range of lesions on other bones, including areas of abnormal porosity and subperiosteal new bone deposition on either the sphenoid, maxilla, mandibular ramus, or orbit, as well as subperiosteal lesions on the postcranial bones. Several plausible explanations for the formation of these endocranial lesions in our eight cases include scurvy, shaken baby syndrome, and intrathoracic disease (such as tuberculosis or pulmonary infection). We show that the presence of endocranial lesions had a strong correspondence with skeletal markers of dietary deficiency, i.e. scurvy, and in one case, anemia. Millet was a key component of the Longshan subsistence in the area, while paleobotanical evidence of fruit and leafy vegetables appears to be limited, likely resulting in a nutrient deficient diet. The coupling of endocranial lesions with skeletal signs of dietary deficiency can be direct, as scurvy favors hemorrhaging, or mediated by physiological or sociocultural factors, and thereby represents comorbidity.

Failing arguments for the presence of iron in Denmark during the Bronze Age Period IV.

The dark squiggly lines of the razors from Kjeldbymagle and Arnitlund are often mentioned, along with the knife from Grødby, as the earliest examples of iron in Denmark. The razors can be dated to the early Late Bronze Age (Period IV) – around 1000 BC – due to their form and ornamentation, while the iron knife from Grødby is reported to have been found in a slightly earlier urn burial.
 Recent metallurgical analyses have, however, shown that the squiggly lines are not in fact iron, but rather copper covered by a layer of iron-bearing corrosion, and that the knife’s context with the other grave objects must be considered uncertain. This means that there is no evidence for the presence of iron in Denmark until the very end of the Bronze Age – around 700–500 BC.

The excavation of the Dadianshan Cemetery in Changning, Yunan

AbstractIn 2012, 198 burials were excavated in the Dadianshan Cemetery site in Changning County, Yunnan. The striking differences in burial structure and grave goods of these burials suggest that the cemetery was used by two different ethnic groups. The structure of the burials can be classified into earthen cave burials, earthen pit burials and urn burials. The first type has never been seen in the Bronze Age archaeology of Yunnan. They yielded rich assemblage of grave goods predominantly comprising bronze artifacts, the main types of which were sabers, spearheads, bracelets, yue-battle axes, swords, buckles, etc. They were likely associated with the ancient Ailao people of the late Spring-and-Autumn to late Warring-States Periods. The second burial type was prevalent in Bronze Age Yunnan. These burials yielded small number of or no grave goods. In addition to bronze, the grave goods assemblage also comprised of iron, bimetallic, stone and pottery artifacts. They were likely associated with the Di and Qiang people during the mid Warring-States Period to the late Western Han Dynasty.

Uwagi na temat obrządku pogrzebowego grupy olsztyńskiej na przykładzie cmentarzyska w Kosewie, pow. mrągowski (dawn. Kossewen, Kreis Sensburg)

The cemetery in Kosewo (former Kossewen, Kr. Sensburg; from 1938, Rechenberg) is one of the largest known necropolises dated to the Roman and Migration Periods found in the Mazurian Lakeland. The site was accidentally discovered during the construction works of the road linking Mrągowo with Mikolajki in 1887. Even though a large numer of features was discovered at the cemetery in Kosewo, only single finds or assemblages from that site have been published. At the cemetery in Kosewo there were pit and urn burials. The pit burials contained, besides the remains of the deceased, also the remains of the pyre. The predominant burial type were urn graves. Among the 728 recorded burials the majority were urn graves, amounting to 611. It seems justifiable to assume that in the Olsztyn group the urn graves were generally predominant, with some local departures from the custom. We may also say that the graves from the late Migration Period were deposited closer to the Surface than the ones from the Roman Period. This phenomenon has been also recorded at the other cemeteries of the Olsztyn Group. In the eastern part of the area settled by the Olsztyn Group, in which the Kosewo cemeteries are located, the burial grounds were usually made in the same places as the necropolises of the Bogaczewo culture. Large cemeteries used only in the Late Migration Period are exceptional. Graves from Phase E usually did not disturb the earlier burials, but at the cemetery in Kosewo this happened quite often. Basing on the research conducted so far it is possible to state that the graves from the Olsztyn Group were usually located in separate clusters located away from the graves from the Roman Period or only slightly overlapping with them. In the urn graves of the Olsztyn Group the urns are sometimes covered with overturned bowl- or plate-shaped vessels, or beakers with hollow stems. No stone linings, pavements, or cist graves have been registered. Also no horse graves, which can be found in Mazuria of the Roman and Migration Periods, have been discovered at the cemetery in Kosewo. The cemetery yielded some finds of weapons in the assemblages dated to Phase E. The decline of the Olsztyn Group is connected with the disappearance of archaeologically recordable burial rites. The change of the form of the burial rite probably did not concern cremation, which is recorded for the Prussian tribes from the Early Middle Ages. The change of the burial rites probably consisted in the introduction of a different form of deposition of the burials. Also at the cemetery in Kosewo no materials later than the 7th century have been recorded. The necropolis may have been abandoned or the way of depositing the burials was changed. The question about the final stages of use of the Olsztyn Group cemeteries may be answered by further investigations.

ANOTHER CHANCE

1 2 7 R A N O T H E R C H A N C E J A M E S W I L C O X Forbidden to ascend here please. That was what the sign seemed to say in Spanish – and yet there they were, a hefty woman in a sombrero and two men, tramping up the mound of unexcavated ruins. Even from a distance Daniel could tell they weren’t authorized personnel – the sombrero glittered too brightly, a brash halo, pink as Pepto-Bismol. But nothing happened to them – no fine for trespassing, not even a warning. Soon the trio was out of the restricted area and resting on the steps of a nearby pyramid, where the woman sprayed sunscreen on the men’s white calves. Despite the heat, Daniel himself was not in shorts. He’d been told that shorts would be o√ensive to the indigenous people. In the museum, burial urns and skulls were supplied with estimated dates, which he duly noted as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The Mam might have sacrificed on the tallest pyramid, the one he hadn’t climbed because of this – and his fear of heights. A rival highland tribe then conquered the Mam, who retook Zaculeu later, only to have the Spaniards starve the remaining Mam into submission in their besieged capital. Convert or else. In 1946 United Fruit plastered over the ruins to make them seem more authentic, how they supposedly would have looked to the . . . 1 2 8 W I L C O X Y ‘‘Don’t touch!’’ Glancing over his shoulder, Daniel saw it wasn’t a child being scolded, but a grown woman, who protested she hadn’t touched anything. Barely larger than his neighborhood launderette, the modest museum o√ered no refuge from the squabbling. Every word intruded on the dates he was trying to keep straight. Heading for the exit, he felt something brush against his leg. ‘‘Caballeros? Donde?’’ It was the woman. The pink sombrero he had spotted earlier, glittering blithely over the buried ruins, was hovering now beside her waist, the rim touching his khakis but not her hands, which were filled with brochures. Taking a step away from this enigma, he said, ‘‘The men’s room?’’ ‘‘Si. My ex-esposo . . .’’ She gestured toward the only other person in the museum, a man hunched over a display case of ceramics, studiously ignoring her. ‘‘He’s too embarazada to ask.’’ ‘‘Right outside, to your left.’’ ‘‘Muy gracias. Donald!’’ she called out. ‘‘The señor says it’s right outside to your left. Go now or forever hold your peace. And while you’re at it, tell Harold he better go, too. Where is he, anyway?’’ she added, looking back at Daniel. ‘‘I thought he was right behind us.’’ Daniel shrugged politely. ‘‘In that case, would you mind keeping an eye on eso?’’ she said, lifting the festive sombrero to reveal a three-pronged metal cane, her impromptu hat rack. Gravity hadn’t been defied, after all. ‘‘It’s Harold’s cane, my esposo’s, only he’s too stubborn to use it. He broke his pequeño toe opening a jar of peanut butter just before we left. I told him to dry his hands before he tackled it, but no. Landed right on his bare foot, one of those jumbo jars from Sam’s, which I hate, buying in bulk like that. You always get so sick of it by the time you’re halfway through.’’ ‘‘I’m sorry, but . . .’’ ‘‘Don’t want to bring this into the damas, do we?’’ she added, giving the cane a little spank with the hat. ‘‘Never know what it might pick up. Muy gracias, Señor. I’ll just be a secundo.’’ As she herded her too-pregnant ex outside to the restrooms, Daniel regarded the free-standing cane. His bus would be loading soon – and he didn’t dare miss it. Perhaps if he put the cane behind A N O T H E R C H A N C E 1 2 9 R the desk at the front entrance, where the young Mayan docent had...

Nuevos Datos para las Inhumaciones en Urnas de Sitios Arqueológicos Guaraníes del Extremo Meridional de la Cuenca del Plata

Many urn burials were recorded among the complex mortuary behaviors observed in archaeological sites belonging tothe Guarani archaeological unit. Urn burial analyses are generally scarce and, particularly, in the southern point of La Plata basin. The objective of this work is to contribute to the Guarani society’s knowledge by the analysis of human remains buried in urns from archaeological sites located in the Parana Delta (Argentina). This region is the southern point of this Amazonian group’s expansion, whose mortuary remains are well preserved, in contrast to other Guarani´s regions. In this work, we analyze the human skeletal remains recovered from urn burials from three archaeological sites located in the Parana Delta: Arroyo Malo, Arroyo Fredes y Arroyo La Glorieta. These sites were excavated at the beginning of the 20th century by many researchers and today are part of Museo de La Plata´s collections. We studied sexual composition, age and anatomical structure as well as a set of taphonomic variables. The results show the preponderance of male adult individuals, represented mainly by long bones and cranial elements, some of them with cut marks and red paint (ochre) in abundant quantities. These indicators, along with others of taphonomical origin, indicate the secondary treatment of the dead product of the disassembly, defleshing and selection of certain anatomical units.

Cooking Pots as Burial Urns

Abstract Large ceramic vessels used as burial urns occasionally have been found in Late Mississippian/protohistoric contexts in Alabama and Mississippi. Ethnohistorical documents suggest that large vessels were used for cooking in a domestic context. A systematic examination of three urns from east-central Mississippi shows multiple uses prior to their final deposition with burials. Vessel size analysis of a temporal sequence of sherds from midden contexts used sherd thickness and curvature data to show that large vessels became more common. Three explanations are examined to better understand the use of large vessels during this time: bet hedging, costly signaling, and changing technology. The results confirm the use of burial urns in domestic contexts before their final use as interment containers, making technological change the most viable of the three hypotheses.