Temps du souvenir, temps de l’oubli; An archaeothanatological approach in reconstructing and understanding the funerary practices of a Middle Neolithic settlement in the Lower Rhine Basin

This paper explores the mortuary treatment as evidenced in the Middle Neolithic Schipluiden in South Holland. At this low coastal dune, a few inhumations and scattered remains were found in the vicinity of year-round dwellings of a semi-agrarian community, attributed to the Hazendonk technocultural group. Previous research on funerary assemblages from the Neolithic Netherlands has focused on factual (location, dating), anthropological (population, health, origin, kinship) aspects, architectural features and accompanying objects, somewhat neglecting the body of the dead. This was also the case at Schipluiden. The aim was to refocus on the raison d’être of the graves, namely the dead themselves. My research question concerns the reconstruction of the treatment of cadavers. To answer this, I used the methodological framework of archaeothanatology. This is a discipline that was first introduced in France in the 1970s and 1980s and has seen significant development in recent years, both...Show moreThis paper explores the mortuary treatment as evidenced in the Middle Neolithic Schipluiden in South Holland. At this low coastal dune, a few inhumations and scattered remains were found in the vicinity of year-round dwellings of a semi-agrarian community, attributed to the Hazendonk technocultural group. Previous research on funerary assemblages from the Neolithic Netherlands has focused on factual (location, dating), anthropological (population, health, origin, kinship) aspects, architectural features and accompanying objects, somewhat neglecting the body of the dead. This was also the case at Schipluiden. The aim was to refocus on the raison d’être of the graves, namely the dead themselves. My research question concerns the reconstruction of the treatment of cadavers. To answer this, I used the methodological framework of archaeothanatology. This is a discipline that was first introduced in France in the 1970s and 1980s and has seen significant development in recent years, both within and outside France, aided by new technologies (3D, animation) and realistic experiments. By studying skeletal remains either in situ or from the documentation (photographs, plans, diaries etc.), it reconstructs the taphonomic histories of the dead. It is founded on the observation of the sequence of disarticulations and the depositional setting itself. Through this, it is possible to identify the presence or absence of elements that are already missing from the excavation context (organic materials, bindings, wrappings, etc.). The aim is to recreate the picture of the initial deposition, thus providing insights into mortuary rituals and practices. In my work, I used all available documentation, i.e., photographs, drawings, and information from the main publication. Alongside this, I investigated examples from other sites in order to reinforce and supplement my conclusions. The results of my analysis yielded a simplified but consistent ritual. Five of the seven individuals that were buried in Schipluiden had been placed flexed on their sides or backs, while two who were victims of a violent incident had been buried together lying on their backs. All of the dead had been deposited, probably clothed, in shallow pits directly on earth, and the graves had been covered with soil. At the same time, archaeothanatology revealed a range of minor differences. It appears that each of the buried individuals was treated differently. The significance of my study lies in the need to renegotiate the generalized patterns that archaeological research has read in prehistoric funerary contexts to date. It is necessary to revise models considering ‘normal’ and ‘deviant’ burials, or ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ treatment. This is the first retrospective archaeothanatological study on an entire funerary complex of the prehistoric Netherlands.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Temps du souvenir, temps de l’oubli; An archaeothanatological approach in reconstructing and understanding the funerary practices of a Middle Neolithic settlement in the Lower Rhine Basin