Beschrijving

Human bone in archaeological context is the product of natural processes and cultural patterns; the deposits can seal several things: the vital aspects of one skeleton, the intentions that led to the burial, and natural and accidental processes. This in turn becomes part of the history of these remains and the way they are arranged, their environmental changes and rituals can all influence the recovery procedure. The synchronic and diachronic bio-cultural environments involve new requirements and present further limitations. Taking the geographical framework of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, the author addresses the methodological issues involved in the recovery of archaeological skeletal remains: cremation and inhumation, primary and secondary burials, individual and collective deposits.