Theme:
2. Archaeological Sciences, Humanities and the Digital era: Bridging the Gaps
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
More than Fire: Investigating Pyre Technology in Experimental and Archaeological Cremations for Understanding the Burning Conditions
Content:
Cremation was the dominant funerary rite in many regions on the European continent from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman period (ca. 1300 BCE-300 AD). As a result, cremated human remains are commonly found in archaeological contexts. The role and the use of fire in funerary archaeology have mostly been linked to the ability of fire to transform the human body into burnt bones and ashes. Beyond its practical purposes, fire in the mortuary context has also been seen as a symbolic means of elaborating or extending the ritual process, enabling a new kind of interaction between the living participants in cremation and the deceased. However, due to the destructive nature of fire and the lack of written sources from the Bronze and Iron Ages, it is extremely difficult to investigate how cremation was performed in past societies. Assessing the variability in cremation conditions over time and space is crucial for understanding the various attitudes of ancient communities towards death and the different methods for managing and treating the deceased. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to other types of evidence to further investigate the burning conditions (e.g., ignition, temperature, fuel, duration, pyre structure, and size, pyre goods, body position, location of the pyre in the environment, extinguishing methods, seasonality, etc.), such as experimental archaeology, archaeological sciences, macroscopic analysis, and ethnographic information.
This session aims to bridge the gap between macroscopic and scientific analysis of burnt human remains and experimental archaeology for understanding pyre technology as well as body and pyre management in ancient societies in which cremation was the main funerary practice. In this session, we welcome presentations from experimental archaeology on pyrotechnology, archaeological sciences, macroscopical analysis, anthracology, and new approach techniques on cremated bones from all chronological periods and without geographical limitation.
Keywords:
pyre technology, burning conditions, experimental archaeology, cremated bones, archaeological sciences, macroscopic analysis
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
no
Main organiser:
Elisavet Stamataki (Belgium) 1
Co-organisers:
Kristóf Fülöp (Hungary) 2
Giovanni Magno (Italy) 3
Affiliations:
1. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2. HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeology
3. Morgagni Museum of Human Anatomy - University Museums Centre CAM, University of Padua
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