Cremations and Pyrotechnologies among the Prehispanic Inhabitants of Cerro de Trincheras, Northern Mexico

Abstract

Using data from several well-preserved pyres, which are rarely found well preserved in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, we examine cremation customs and their associated pyrotechnologies at the site of Cerro de Trincheras in northern Sonora, Mexico, from AD 1300 to 1450/1500. We explore variations in pyre construction and use, thermal alterations of the deceased, the deceased individuals’ biological profiles, the performance of mortuary rituals, and the sensorial experiences of both the mourners and the wider Cerro de Trincheras community. The residents of the site were masters of the pyrotechnologies associated with cremations, making efficient pyres for the deceased and maximizing their resources. The group also created transformative funeral rituals that may have facilitated and mediated a wide range of emotional responses toward their deceased.

A pivot point in Maya history: fire-burning event at K'anwitznal (Ucanal) and the making of a new era of political rule

“…2015; Cerezo-Román et al . 2023). The teeth were not recovered but voids in the mandibular alveolar bone indicate that the lower right first and second molars were in situ at the time of burning while remodelling of the maxillary alveolus suggests that the corresponding upper teeth were lost during life.…”

“…The bone of this individual is burned a white to dark grey with fissures and cracks that indicate that significant amounts of collagen were still present in the bone when it was burned. There is evidence of shrinkage of the bone, reducing the size by up to 25 per cent, and warping that suggests the fire burned at a temperature of over 800°C (Ubelaker 2009;Symes et al 2015;Cerezo-Román et al 2023). The teeth were not recovered but voids in the mandibular alveolar bone indicate that the lower right first and second molars were in situ at the time of burning while remodelling of the maxillary alveolus suggests that the corresponding upper teeth were lost during life.…”