In this thesis, the composite burial of unit 52 of the site of El Carril, Dominican Republic, has been analyzed for deviancy from the general mortuary behavior in the Late Ceramic Caribbean....Show moreIn this thesis, the composite burial of unit 52 of the site of El Carril, Dominican Republic, has been analyzed for deviancy from the general mortuary behavior in the Late Ceramic Caribbean. Firstly, the general pattern of mortuary behavior in the Caribbean during the Late Ceramic Age had to be established. The variables that were taken into the analysis were: the location of the grave(s), the position of the individual(s), the occurrence of grave goods, whether it was a primary or secondary burial and the general ritual behavior. This research has concluded that the location of burials was often underneath houses, in caves, underneath central plazas or in mounds. The main position the individuals were placed in was either on their side, back, or in a seated position with the legs tightly flexed towards the upper body. Less occurring positions included the extended supine position and prone position. Grave goods seemed to be present at many sites, but they were in general infrequent. The most common burials were primary burials, the secondary burials occurred at a lower frequency. Lastly, the other burial rituals included individuals being placed inside ceramic vessels, underneath big stones or with cremated remains of another person. The composite burial of unit 52 at El Carril contained burial F35-03 and F35-01. F35-03, a juvenile individual, was positioned in a fairly uncommon burial position in this area at that period, called the frog position, lying on its back with the legs pulled up towards the torso. Furthermore, the skull and other long bones of the juvenile, who had an estimated age of 5 to 6 years old, were missing. This practice is often connected to the veneration of ancestors. On top of this individual, the burial F35-01 was discovered. This adult, a probable female with an estimated age of 20, was lying half on its side, half on the front of the body. This meant that the skull and upper part of the body were in a prone position, a burial position that is very low occurring in the Caribbean in this period. Furthermore, the prone position is nowadays often associated with a deviant burial treatment, which is also evident in the notion that this adult did not receive a similar treatment as the juvenile and one other burial at El Carril (F85-01). Lastly, the skull of the adult exhibited a fronto-occipital modification. The composite burial of unit 52 can be concluded to be deviant from the general mortuary behavior in the Caribbean during the Late Ceramic Age. This is 57 because bones were extracted from the juvenile, which was usually reserved for more ‘special’ people and has not been documented that often for non-adults. This is in contrast to the burial treatment of the adult, who appears to have gotten no special treatment at all. Furthermore, the positions of the individuals are non- normative, or at least low occurring. Lastly, the absence of grave goods is in great contrast with other contemporary sites on the island.Show less
