Determining Death: Investigating the Selection Processes for Mortuary Rites in Neolithic Ireland

研究背景：本项目将调查新石器时代（公元前4000-2500年）在爱尔兰选定的墓地进行的各种殡葬仪式（火葬、土葬、初级/二级埋葬和骨灰）的选择过程中的决定因素（如年龄、性别、血统或文化关联）。重点将是在通道墓中发现的人类遗骸上的切割痕迹的证据，并调查死者的剥除或肢解过程。通过应用现代科学技术（生物侵蚀、骨考古分析、锶同位素分析和地理信息系统）确定在这些地点举行的各种丧葬仪式，并确定谁被选中参加这些仪式，将有助于深入了解这些社区的社会、文化和政治动态，以及他们如何与死者互动。方法：新石器时代的社会，文化和精神认同的概念将影响葬礼仪式的选择过程。因此，为了研究年龄、性别、身份、血统或文化联系是否决定了在选定的新石器时代墓地举行的殡葬仪式，并确定殡葬记录中的模式，本项目将：对灰色文献进行详细审查，包括史前爱尔兰人（POPI）数据库，QUB，包含248个新石器时代墓地。如果发现有标记的新站点，这些站点将被包括在样本中进行研究。通过应用现代骨考古技术，回顾已发表的骨考古报告和放射性碳年代测定（McKinley and Smith, 2004; Schwartz, 2007; White et al. 2011），建立爱尔兰选定新石器时代墓葬遗址的年表和人口概况（表1）。已经与NMI（都柏林）和NMNI（贝尔法斯特）讨论了获取组合的问题，并获准使用昆士兰大学14CHRONO中心的设施，以获得新的放射性碳测年。通过对烧焦和未烧焦骨头中的锶同位素的调查，确定个体是否是本地/非本地的。这项工作将对来自爱尔兰的标本进行，并由作者在布鲁塞尔自由大学斯努克教授的监督下进行处理。基于已发布的动物遗骸协议（Abe et al. 2002），开发并应用一种新的GIS标准，用于记录和呈现人类遗骸上的刻痕（Abe et al. 2002），以促进对脱关节和去肉技术的交叉比较分析（使用ESRI制作的ArcGIS Pro 2.6.0）。进行一项组织解剖学研究，以确定在爱尔兰遗址中选定的埋葬（有和没有刻痕）骨骼微观结构的成岩变化，以确定个体在加工之前是否受到分解。这将为重建死前和死后的太平间过程提供额外的见解（Brönnimann等人，2018）。（通过对现有出版作品的研究）对已确定有刻痕的当代英国遗址（如肯特郡的科尔德拉姆室室墓；剑桥郡的哈德纳姆长barrow；奥克尼的夸内斯室室墓）进行审查，以便与爱尔兰材料进行比较。将年表和人口概况与停尸房做法进行比对，整理成一个数据库，利用地理信息系统通过对停尸房数据的统计询问来确定埋葬仪式的区域差异。

Research Context: This project will investigate the determining factors (e.g. age, sex, origin or cultural association) which informed the selection processes for the various mortuary rites (cremation, inhumation, primary/secondary burial, and excarnation) undertaken at selected burial sites in Ireland throughout the Neolithic period (c.4000-2500 BC). A point of focus will be the evidence of cutmarks on human remains found at passage tombs and investigating the processes involved in the defleshing or dismembering of the dead. Identifying the variety of funerary rites undertaken at these sites through the application of modern scientific techniques (bioerosion, osteoarchaeological analysis, strontium isotope analysis and GIS) and determining who was selected for these rites, will provide insight into the social, cultural and political dynamics of these communities and how they interacted with their dead. Methods: Neolithic concepts of social, cultural, and spiritual identity will have impacted upon the selection process for funerary rites. Therefore, to examine whether age, sex, status, origin, or cultural association were determining factors in the mortuary rites undertaken at selected Neolithic burial sites, and to identify patterns in the mortuary record this project will: Undertake a detailed review of the grey literature, including the People of Prehistoric Ireland (POPI) database, QUB, containing 248 Neolithic burial sites. If new sites with cutmarks become evident, these will be included in the sample for study. Establish chronologies and population profiles of selected Neolithic burial sites in Ireland (Table 1) through application of modern osteoarchaeological techniques, a review of published osteoarchaeological reports and radiocarbon dates (McKinley and Smith, 2004; Schwartz, 2007; White et al. 2011). Access to assemblages has been discussed with NMI (Dublin) and NMNI (Belfast) and access to facilities in the 14CHRONO Centre, QUB, to obtain new radiocarbon dates has been granted. Identify whether individuals were local/non-local through the investigation of strontium isotopes from burnt and unburnt bone. This will be undertaken on samples from the Irish assemblages and processed by the author under the supervision of Prof. Snoeck, at Vrije Universiteit Brussels. Develop and apply a novel GIS standard for the recording and presentation of cutmarks on human remains based on a published protocol for faunal remains (Abe et al. 2002) to facilitate cross-comparative analysis of disarticulation and de-fleshing techniques (using ArcGIS Pro 2.6.0 made by ESRI). Undertake a histotaphonomic study to determine diagenetic alterations in bone microstructure of selected burials (both with and without cutmarks) at Irish sites, to determine whether individuals were subject to decomposition prior to processing. This will provide additional insights concerning the reconstruction of peri- and post-mortem mortuary processes (Brönnimann et al., 2018). Undertake a review (through the study of existing published works) of contemporary British sites where cutmarks have been identified (e.g. Coldrum chambered tomb, Kent; Haddenham long-barrow, Cambridgeshire; Quarterness chambered tomb, Orkney), to facilitate comparisons with the Irish material. Collate into a database and cross-reference chronologies and population profiles with mortuary practices, using GIS to identify regional variation in burial rites through statistical interrogation of the mortuary data.