Dynamic Cadavers

A "Field-Anthropological" Analysis of the Skateholm II Burials

Abstract

This study presents the results of a new archaeological analysis of the burials from the Late Mesolithic cemetery of Skateholm II. The re-analysis is based on the methods of anthropologie de terrain (Field Anthropology) which combine highly detailed field observation with the cultural and natural factors that contribute to the decomposition of the human body and the disarticulation of the skeleton (Duday et al. 1990). Anthropologie de terrain utilizes taphonomic principles to infer the state of the human remains and the structure of the grave at the time of burial, thus offering a rigorous archaeological approach for reconstructing the original position of the human remains, the arrangement of clothing and grave goods, and the overall architecture of the grave. Anthropologie de terrain improves the documentation of the variability in mortuary ritual in the Late Mesolithic society represented at Skateholm II. The results provide strong support, in large part, for previous interpretations of Skateholm II mortuary practices. In some significant cases, however, the results include details about grave composition and therefore, about mortuary ritual, which were not previously recognized.