ANTH 240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Grave Goods, Bioarchaeology

• School: University of Victoria
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH 240
• Professor: Cook Katherine

Document Summary

Mortuary archaeology: study of mortuary practices through material culture. Bioarchaeology: study of human remains in connection to material culture. A lot of the archaeological field and laboratory methods stay the same, but theory and interpretive frameworks change. Use gpr, survey, records, oral history to find cemeteries. Excavation methods are basically the same as for any other site, but more of a respect for the dead. Analyzing the dead health, diet, dna, body mods. Treatment of the dead: primary/secondary interment, multiple interment, cremation, sarcophagus, shroud, urn, coffin. Graves may be filled at a different time than they were originally dug, fill may not be what was originally dug out. Grave structures mounds, pyramids, monuments, unmarked, etc. Burials include : human remains, grave goods, material culture etc. E. g. clothing, shroud, what type: flesh and fragile bones are the first thing to go larger bones shift position. Living people impact what remains in a burial: preservation (or not, deliberate mummification.