Development of analytical methodology for inference of variation in human bone burning scenarios: A transdisciplinary approach

Cremated human remains are encountered in the archaeological record across contexts as well as in modern funerary and forensic settings. Despite this, cremated human remains and cremation funerals have not been explored within the literature to the same extent as inhumed bone. This is partly due to the difficulties associated with the estimation of the biological profile of burned remains because heat-induced changes obscure features traditionally associated with such methods. This thesis presents a method of analysis of cremated human remains which focuses on the identification of subtle differential burning towards the inference of practices connected to the cremation funeral. Morphology and fracture patterns of 6240 fragments of burned bone representing 79 individuals from nine Romano-British sites have been analysed to identify patterns in burn scenario between individuals, cemetery sites, and geographic regions. These data have been framed within an understanding of the process of human decomposition and the timeline of preparations of cremation funerals to consider the materiality of the body’s impact on the funerary process. The results indicate regional variation in cremation funerary practice. In particular, it is suggested that the cremation funerals around Canterbury were more uniform, perhaps due to prescribed practices and the participation of professional funerary workers. Individuals from this region also exhibited specific fracture patterns across the body, perhaps connected to funerary preparations and position on the pyre. The assemblage from smaller, rural cemetery contexts northwest of London highlight a significantly greater variation in funerary practice. The suite of variables used to measure differential burning across the body and between sites also suggests that the observable differences are related to the burning process rather than post-depositional changes. This method is repeatable, accessible, and applicable to other contexts both in the archaeological record and forensic settings