Taphonomy of Burnt Burials: Spatial Analysis of Bone Fragments in Their Secondary Deposition

Abstract

Examining recently excavated burnt burials, we explore the potential of spatial analysis to contribute to the understanding of changes that human body goes through during burning and relocation to the place of secondary deposition. Artificial heat decomposition of a body is a complex process that consists of several stages of intentional manipulation with the body. Each stage can be biased by several accidental factors which then significantly change the final archaeological record. We focussed on the post-burning stage, especially the pathways of bone fragments to secondary deposition. We investigated spatial distribution and weight of bones in urns and pits and asked whether it is possible to observe their intentional arrangement. The trend of bone arrangement could be distinguished in most cases. Bones of peripheral parts of body were typically situated at the bottom; skull bones were usually concentrated in the upper part. However, the weight underrepresentation of all investigated burials was apparent. Deposition of selected burnt bones suggests their careful collection from the pyre and complex post-mortem manipulation. Our detailed analysis aims to reconstruct particular steps executed during funeral rites of past populations.

Survival of sharp force trauma in burnt bones: effects of environmental factors

“…An examination of heat-exposed bones, when combined with subsequent environmental exposure, is complex with many factors affecting how the burnt bones may be modified [ 14 , 26 ]. Burnt skeletal remains and their traumatic lesions are subject to damage, fragmentation, and dispersion by the depositional environment and weather conditions [ 10 , 27 , 28 ]. Detailed knowledge of how the prevailing weather conditions and microenvironment have on burnt bones and their traumatic marks is crucial for our analysis of skeletal trauma in forensic cases.…”

Let’s make a mess, maybe no one will notice. The impact of bioturbation activity on the urn fill condition

“…Recognition of bioturbation processes is of key importance when interpreting the intentional arrangement of bones in urns [11][12][13][96][97][98][99][100][101] or their deliberate fragmentation [8]. Identification and assignment of individual traces of bioturbative activity to specific animal taxa may also be an element of a preliminary diagnosis of contamination affecting the results of other specialist studies.…”