Wandering bones
Archaeology, forensic science and Moche burial practices
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12371347 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew J Nelson (0000-0001-7838-1198) |
| Year | 1998 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 192-212 |
| Publication date | 1998-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/(sici)1099-1212(199805/06)8:3<192::aid-oa422>3.0.co;2-5 |
| OpenAlex | W1968911902 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 25 |
| References cited | 7 |
The focus of this study is a sample of human burials from the Precolumbian archaeological site of San José de Moro, Perú. This site is located in the coastal desert of northern Perú and this sample dates to the latter half of the Moche period (AD 450–750). Upon discovery, many of the burials from this site were found to demonstrate various degrees of disarticulation. Stratigraphic analysis demonstrates that this disturbance cannot be the product of post-depositional forces. An analysis of the distribution of the bones within the tombs, and a review of the process of corporeal decomposition suggests that the disturbance happened before the bodies were interred. The results indicate that the cadavers were wholly or partially mummified before burial, and that disarticulation occurred as the brittle, mummified body was manoeuvered into the tomb. The body was mummified either as a deliberate measure before transporting the corpse over long distances, or as a natural product of the curation of the body above ground in a dry environment, during an extended funeral ritual. This combination of archaeological and forensic analysis yields important new insights into the burial practices of the Moche. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Archaeology · Disarticulation · Geography · Osteology · Taphonomy · Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies · Paleopathology and ancient diseases · Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research · Geology
Mortuary Practices and Social Identity at Matrix 101, La Leche Valley, Peru
Demography, paleopathology, and health status of the Moche remains in Huambacho, Peru
Portachuelo de Charcape
Bioarchaeological approaches to looting
The archaeothanatology of seated-flexed burials in the prehispanic southern Andes
Hunter-gatherer's mortuary practices in artificial mounds of the lower Paraná River basin (Argentina)
Virtual Archaeology of Death and Burial
The Body Sacrificed
Subadult scurvy in Andean South America
Cultural conflict and the impact on non-adults at Puruchuco-Huaquerones in Peru
Burials And Time At Gillman Mound, Northern Adelaide, South Australia
A prática de individualização de crânios e de decapitação na região de Lagoa Santa durante o Holoceno Inicial (Brasil)
Crouching in fear
Mortuary behaviour reconstruction through palaeoentomology
Death and Religion in the Southern Moche Periphery
Negotiating Identities
Interpretations of Pre-Hispanic Ritual Violence at Tucume, Peru, from Cut Mark Analysis
Assessing the Chronology and Rewrapping of Funerary Bundles at the Prehispanic Religious Center of Pachacamac, Peru
The Manipulation of Human Remains in Moche Society
Residential histories of elites and sacrificial victims at Huacas de Moche, Peru, as reconstructed from oxygen isotopes
Flies, Mochicas and burial practices
Assembling the dead
An Integrated Analysis of Pre-Hispanic Mortuary Practices
The taphonomy of cannibalism
Moche Politics, Religion, and Warfare
| Unique citing works | 25 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,96 |
| Citation span | 2000 - 2023 (24) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |