Fragments of death. A taphonomic study of human remains from Neolithic Orkney
Fragments of death. A taphonomic study of human remains from Neolithic Orkney
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死亡的碎片。
DOI：
10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.05.036
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发表时间：
2016
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
R. Crozier
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R. Crozier
人们认识到，在时间上和地理上，对待死者的方式存在巨大差异，但这并没有减少人们对建筑风格相似的纪念碑进行同质化殡葬仪式的追求。考虑到苏格兰奥克尼的新石器时代墓葬，这一点得到了恰当的证明。奥克迪亚人的骨骼组合代表了这一时期英国最大的数量，这是一个重要的资源。然而，离散的骨骼是缺乏的，研究人员提出了巨大的体积分离和混合的遗骸。转变、破碎和身体操纵的主题渗透在文学中，赋予坟墓作为过渡场所的意义。以前，遗骸固有的复杂性使它们成为一个没有吸引力的详细研究提议。新的解释来自对挖掘报告的研究，而不是材料本身。然而，在分类分析的进步意味着技术，现在有接近这种复杂的组合。一项对奥克迪亚遗址的研究已经成功开展，发现了大量的新数据。这些数据引起了人们对陵墓之间和内部实践的微妙变化的关注，并倡导对与这些神秘结构相关的实践和宇宙学的当前理解进行戏剧性的重新考虑。
Recognition of tremendous variation in the treatment of the dead, both temporally and geographically, has done little to curtail the pursuit of homogenous mortuary rites for monuments which appear, by virtue of their architecture, to be similar. This is aptly demonstrated in considering the Neolithic tombs of Orkney, Scotland. The Orcadian human bone assemblages represent the largest volume for this time period from Britain – a significant resource. However, discrete skeletons are lacking, the researcher being presented with formidable volumes of disarticulated and commingled remains. Themes of transformation, fragmentation and manipulation of the body permeate the literature, conferring significance on the tombs as places of transition. Previously, the inherent complexity of the remains has made them an unattractive proposition for detailed study. New interpretations are derived from examination of excavation reports, rather than the material itself. However, advances in taphonomic analysis means techniques now exist for approaching such complex assemblages. A study has now been successfully carried out on the Orcadian remains, uncovering a wealth of new data. This data draws attention to subtle variations in practice between and within tombs, and advocates for a dramatic reconsideration of the current understanding of the practices and cosmologies associated with these enigmatic structures.