Amy R. Michael, Gabriel D. Wrobel, and Jack Biggs
Cathy Willermet and Andrea Cucina (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813056005
- eISBN:
- 9780813053783
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813056005.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Bioarchaeology frequently investigates dental health in burial populations to make inferences about mortuary variability within and between ancient groups. In this chapter, micro- and macroscopic ...
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Bioarchaeology frequently investigates dental health in burial populations to make inferences about mortuary variability within and between ancient groups. In this chapter, micro- and macroscopic dental defects were examined in a series of ancient Maya mortuary cave and rockshelter burials in Central Belize. The nature of mortuary cave ritual use and funerary performance in the Late Classic is widely debated in the literature. This study utilizes two analytical approaches, mortuary practice and paleopathology, to better understand mortuary variability between two site types that may be distinguished by social status in life. Ethnohistoric accounts focused on mortuary activities in the Late Classic period have described sacrificial victims as individuals originating outside of the elite population. To test these accounts, this study compares the dental health data of individuals from non-elite (rockshelter) populations to elite (cave) burial contexts.Less
Bioarchaeology frequently investigates dental health in burial populations to make inferences about mortuary variability within and between ancient groups. In this chapter, micro- and macroscopic dental defects were examined in a series of ancient Maya mortuary cave and rockshelter burials in Central Belize. The nature of mortuary cave ritual use and funerary performance in the Late Classic is widely debated in the literature. This study utilizes two analytical approaches, mortuary practice and paleopathology, to better understand mortuary variability between two site types that may be distinguished by social status in life. Ethnohistoric accounts focused on mortuary activities in the Late Classic period have described sacrificial victims as individuals originating outside of the elite population. To test these accounts, this study compares the dental health data of individuals from non-elite (rockshelter) populations to elite (cave) burial contexts.
Andrea Cucina, Allan Ortega Muñoz, Sandra Verónica, and Elizalde Rodarte
Cathy Willermet, Andrea Cucina, Cathy Willermet, and Andrea Cucina (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813056005
- eISBN:
- 9780813053783
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813056005.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The authors of this chapter focus their attention on the distribution of mortuary practices and their relationship to population affinities among several Postclassic (AD 1000–1520) Maya sites located ...
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The authors of this chapter focus their attention on the distribution of mortuary practices and their relationship to population affinities among several Postclassic (AD 1000–1520) Maya sites located long the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The archaeological evidence suggests a lack of clear and culturally well-established patterns of mortuary practices in the region. Coastal sites represented important commercial and ceremonial centers along maritime trade routes around the peninsula, and were therefore potentially subject to population movement. The joint analysis of mortuary patterns and site biological distances, based on the evidence of dental morphology, indicates that biological relationships between sites does not correspond to similarities in mortuary practices, suggesting a series of diverse relationships between sites long the peninsula’s east coast.Less
The authors of this chapter focus their attention on the distribution of mortuary practices and their relationship to population affinities among several Postclassic (AD 1000–1520) Maya sites located long the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The archaeological evidence suggests a lack of clear and culturally well-established patterns of mortuary practices in the region. Coastal sites represented important commercial and ceremonial centers along maritime trade routes around the peninsula, and were therefore potentially subject to population movement. The joint analysis of mortuary patterns and site biological distances, based on the evidence of dental morphology, indicates that biological relationships between sites does not correspond to similarities in mortuary practices, suggesting a series of diverse relationships between sites long the peninsula’s east coast.
Roberto Valcárcel Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813061566
- eISBN:
- 9780813051499
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813061566.003.0007
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Chapter 7 treats the study of the objects located in the cemetery and their relation with mortuary practices. It establishes the European origin of many of the pieces or their connection with the ...
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Chapter 7 treats the study of the objects located in the cemetery and their relation with mortuary practices. It establishes the European origin of many of the pieces or their connection with the action of importation by the Europeans. What is clear is that their presence was determined by the territorial origin of the individuals and their social status. The study established the presence of lace-ends (agujetas) made of brass, that together with certain taphonomic details indicate the burial of clothed individuals. The cemetery is distinguished by the variety of mortuary practices, some of which combine practices of indigenous origin with those of Christian origin, on occasion in the same burial. These show clear variations that depend on the territorial origin of the individuals, which together with the demographic structure of both groups indicates that the non-locals arrived at the site as part of the colonization process. More than a third of the burials were realized after European arrival and there is no evidence consistent with pre-Columbian burial. These characteristics and the absence of cemeteries in Antillean communities with Meillacan ceramics suggest that it was established in colonial times.Less
Chapter 7 treats the study of the objects located in the cemetery and their relation with mortuary practices. It establishes the European origin of many of the pieces or their connection with the action of importation by the Europeans. What is clear is that their presence was determined by the territorial origin of the individuals and their social status. The study established the presence of lace-ends (agujetas) made of brass, that together with certain taphonomic details indicate the burial of clothed individuals. The cemetery is distinguished by the variety of mortuary practices, some of which combine practices of indigenous origin with those of Christian origin, on occasion in the same burial. These show clear variations that depend on the territorial origin of the individuals, which together with the demographic structure of both groups indicates that the non-locals arrived at the site as part of the colonization process. More than a third of the burials were realized after European arrival and there is no evidence consistent with pre-Columbian burial. These characteristics and the absence of cemeteries in Antillean communities with Meillacan ceramics suggest that it was established in colonial times.
Roberto Valcárcel Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813061566
- eISBN:
- 9780813051499
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813061566.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba, examines the interactions between indigenous peoples and European invaders in the Caribbean and the way in which domination ...
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Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba, examines the interactions between indigenous peoples and European invaders in the Caribbean and the way in which domination imposed by a foreign model ultimately transformed this relationship into a system of colonial subordination. Investigations of the domestic and funerary contexts at the El Chorro de Maíta, in the northeast of Cuba, permit the archaeological visualization of the cultural and ethnic diversity imposed by colonial domination. Presented, for the first time, is the identification and archaeological study of an indigenous village that was transformed during the 16th-century into a town of Indian encomendados, which is to say working for the Spanish as forced labor. The study distinguishes the Christianization of the indigenous inhabitants, principally among those of elite status, and the process of ethnogenesis which gave rise to the “Indian” as a colonial category. This occurred in a scenario where indigenous mortuary practices were maintained, and handled and restricted the Hispanic material culture. It treats the process that created the cemetery with syncretic characteristics, in which there is an adjustment to a process of transculturation where the cultures and the individuals are transformed, and in which the indigenous peoples demonstrated a capacity for resistance and adaptation that is generally underestimated. This book demonstrates the value of archaeology to observe unrecorded episodes of Caribbean and American history that are vital for constructing the link with the pre-Columbian world and the construction of an integrated and new history.Less
Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba, examines the interactions between indigenous peoples and European invaders in the Caribbean and the way in which domination imposed by a foreign model ultimately transformed this relationship into a system of colonial subordination. Investigations of the domestic and funerary contexts at the El Chorro de Maíta, in the northeast of Cuba, permit the archaeological visualization of the cultural and ethnic diversity imposed by colonial domination. Presented, for the first time, is the identification and archaeological study of an indigenous village that was transformed during the 16th-century into a town of Indian encomendados, which is to say working for the Spanish as forced labor. The study distinguishes the Christianization of the indigenous inhabitants, principally among those of elite status, and the process of ethnogenesis which gave rise to the “Indian” as a colonial category. This occurred in a scenario where indigenous mortuary practices were maintained, and handled and restricted the Hispanic material culture. It treats the process that created the cemetery with syncretic characteristics, in which there is an adjustment to a process of transculturation where the cultures and the individuals are transformed, and in which the indigenous peoples demonstrated a capacity for resistance and adaptation that is generally underestimated. This book demonstrates the value of archaeology to observe unrecorded episodes of Caribbean and American history that are vital for constructing the link with the pre-Columbian world and the construction of an integrated and new history.
Ventura R. Pérez
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041506
- eISBN:
- 9780813043876
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041506.003.0002
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Research on violence needs to move beyond viewing violence simply as an abhorrent act and develop a means of understanding why violence is a constant in human societies. The intent of this chapter by ...
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Research on violence needs to move beyond viewing violence simply as an abhorrent act and develop a means of understanding why violence is a constant in human societies. The intent of this chapter by Ventura R. Pérez is to explore the concept of the “politicization of the dead” which is the notion that human remains become a medium through which the living can manipulate cultural practices and behaviors of their own group or the “other.” The treatment (both at the time of death and after) of the individuals who die as a result of violent encounters then become a crucial indicator of the cultural realities of the group. The value of this approach is that violence is not seen as an isolated act but as the collective practices of the group with meaning that continues on long after death.Less
Research on violence needs to move beyond viewing violence simply as an abhorrent act and develop a means of understanding why violence is a constant in human societies. The intent of this chapter by Ventura R. Pérez is to explore the concept of the “politicization of the dead” which is the notion that human remains become a medium through which the living can manipulate cultural practices and behaviors of their own group or the “other.” The treatment (both at the time of death and after) of the individuals who die as a result of violent encounters then become a crucial indicator of the cultural realities of the group. The value of this approach is that violence is not seen as an isolated act but as the collective practices of the group with meaning that continues on long after death.
Brenda J. Baker and Amy Papalexandrou
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042299
- eISBN:
- 9780813043449
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042299.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
A wealth of material attesting to life and death in ancient Marion (Roman Arsinoë) has been uncovered during two decades of excavation by Princeton University's Expedition to Polis Chrysochous, on ...
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A wealth of material attesting to life and death in ancient Marion (Roman Arsinoë) has been uncovered during two decades of excavation by Princeton University's Expedition to Polis Chrysochous, on the northwest coast of Cyprus. Burials are clustered in and around two early sixth-century basilicas situated within a small-scale urban context. One basilica was reused for burials from the 13th to 16th centuries, extending into the Venetian period. Comparison of mortuary evidence from both basilicas indicates various ways of accommodating the dead. Analysis of the skeletal remains indicates a population with generally good health but frequent skeletal evidence of trauma. In one Late Antique burial grooves and wear on the woman's incisors arose from drawing thread through them, indicating activity involving sewing or spinning. Muscle attachments and facet development on this woman's hand bones are consistent with occupational stress attributed to tailors, while alterations in the hips, legs, and feet indicate habitual kneeling, sitting, or squatting.Less
A wealth of material attesting to life and death in ancient Marion (Roman Arsinoë) has been uncovered during two decades of excavation by Princeton University's Expedition to Polis Chrysochous, on the northwest coast of Cyprus. Burials are clustered in and around two early sixth-century basilicas situated within a small-scale urban context. One basilica was reused for burials from the 13th to 16th centuries, extending into the Venetian period. Comparison of mortuary evidence from both basilicas indicates various ways of accommodating the dead. Analysis of the skeletal remains indicates a population with generally good health but frequent skeletal evidence of trauma. In one Late Antique burial grooves and wear on the woman's incisors arose from drawing thread through them, indicating activity involving sewing or spinning. Muscle attachments and facet development on this woman's hand bones are consistent with occupational stress attributed to tailors, while alterations in the hips, legs, and feet indicate habitual kneeling, sitting, or squatting.
Ann L. W. Stodder and Ann M. Palkovich
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813038070
- eISBN:
- 9780813043135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813038070.003.0003
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter presents the osteobiography of an Icelandic Viking who died of massive cranial wounds sometime between A.D. 855 and 1015. The osteobiography details the health history and cause of death ...
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This chapter presents the osteobiography of an Icelandic Viking who died of massive cranial wounds sometime between A.D. 855 and 1015. The osteobiography details the health history and cause of death of this man, and the integration of this information with the broad goals of the Mosfell Archaeological Project allows the authors to address the historicity of Icelandic sagas.Less
This chapter presents the osteobiography of an Icelandic Viking who died of massive cranial wounds sometime between A.D. 855 and 1015. The osteobiography details the health history and cause of death of this man, and the integration of this information with the broad goals of the Mosfell Archaeological Project allows the authors to address the historicity of Icelandic sagas.
Sherry C. Fox, Ioanna Moutafi, Eleni Anna Prevedorou, and Despo Pilides
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042299
- eISBN:
- 9780813043449
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042299.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Burial customs of the Early Christian period in Cyprus are thought to be relatively homogeneous, by consistently having an east-west orientation, no burials in the apse, and no infant burials within ...
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Burial customs of the Early Christian period in Cyprus are thought to be relatively homogeneous, by consistently having an east-west orientation, no burials in the apse, and no infant burials within the church. Studying both bioarchaeology and archaeological data from 5 different coastal and inland sites (N=95) identifies subtle differences that emerge in these burials. There is evidence of secondary burial and single and multiple individuals buried in simple pits, in cist graves, in tile graves, in tombs, in sarcophagi, in a kiln, and in a cistern. Bodies are buried in a supine position and with arms folded across the pelvis, abdomen or possibly the chest. Therefore despite overall adherence to a social expectation of burial, burial in ecclesiastical complexes are not as restricted as previously imaged.Less
Burial customs of the Early Christian period in Cyprus are thought to be relatively homogeneous, by consistently having an east-west orientation, no burials in the apse, and no infant burials within the church. Studying both bioarchaeology and archaeological data from 5 different coastal and inland sites (N=95) identifies subtle differences that emerge in these burials. There is evidence of secondary burial and single and multiple individuals buried in simple pits, in cist graves, in tile graves, in tombs, in sarcophagi, in a kiln, and in a cistern. Bodies are buried in a supine position and with arms folded across the pelvis, abdomen or possibly the chest. Therefore despite overall adherence to a social expectation of burial, burial in ecclesiastical complexes are not as restricted as previously imaged.
