Within the archaeological record ‘mounds’ are often ubiquitous. They are common in many ancient cultures, and they vary in size, construction techniques and use. This research is focused upon optimizing the use of remote sensing for the non-invasive study of mounds both in the United States and the United Kingdom. This thesis presents three representative earthen mound sites and proposes a comprehensive and modular survey methodology to guide the planning and execution of a mound survey tailored to the unique requirements presented by the cultural resource at a particular location. In doing so, the research has provided optimized approaches to high resolution three-dimensional topographic models using a variety of digital methods. These models have been shown to accurately capture the variability of the modern ground surface, which is of vital importance to the management of the mounds. Furthermore, these models have proved vital for integrating geophysical methods into the holistic workspace, thereby providing a better archaeological understanding of the below ground remains. Every mound surveyed presented different challenges, and therefore had to be approached in a slightly different way. However, the general methodology was highly effective for both characterizing below-ground archaeological and natural anomalies, and for assessing the state of preservation of all mounds surveyed. As a result, a flowchart has been generated for non-invasive assessment of mounds in general. If followed, this will allow the production of a “snapshot” of the mound or mound group at a fixed point in time with the resolution necessary to produce useful and insightful interpretation. While this research focuses on the application of geophysical and topographic survey in the United Kingdom and United States to a mound or mound group, this methodology and the associated outcomes can be valuable more globally not only for archaeology, but also heritage management.

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Avalanches kill on average 250 people per year. Fall detection algorithms have been used to detect many different types of falls. In this work, a robust humanoid test rigwas designed and built to investigate the use of proven threshold based fall detection algorithms during skiing. A novel burial detection algorithm is used, to detect whether or not a person has been buried by snow, as this is often lethal. Data acquisition were conducted in the Swedish mountains, as well as computer simulations to further strengthen the results. This thesis shows that an IMU, in conjunction with force sensors around the chest and shoulders are sufficient to detect a fall and burial by snow. The algorithms achieve excellent results based on measurement data gathered by thetest rig. Tests were made to check the algorithm for a person gathering data. This showed that additional evaluation is needed to be applicable to live people, since skiing by the test rig is not completely representative of human skiing. / Laviner dödar i genomsnitt 250 människor per år. Fallavkänningsalgoritmer har använts för att upptäcka många olika typer av fall. I detta arbete har en robust människoliknande testrigg designats och byggts för att undersöka användningen avbevisade gränsvärdebaserade fallavkänningsalgortimer under skidåkning. En ny begravningsavkänningsalgoritm används, för att avkänna om en person har blivit begraven av snö, då det är livshotande. Datainsamling gjordes i de svenska fjällen, samt datorsimuleringar för att vidare stärka resultaten. Denna avhandling visar att en IMU, tillsammans med kraftsensorer runt bröstet och axlar är tillräckligt för att avkänna ett fall och begravning i snö. Algoritmerna producerar förträffliga resultat av baserat på mätdata samlat avtestriggen. Tester gjordes för att granska algoritmen när en person samlar data. Det visade att ytterligare undersökning krävs för applicering på levande människor, då skidåkning av testriggen inte är helt representativt av mänsklig skidåkning.

No / The overarching theme of the book is differential treatment in death, which is examined at the site-specific, settlement, regional and national level. More specifically, the symbolism of conversion-period grave good deposition, the impact of the church, and aspects of identity, burial diversity and biocultural approaches to cemetery analysis are discussed.

No / Recent casework in Belgium involving the search for human remains buried with lime, demonstrated the need for more detailed understanding of the effect of different types of lime on cadaver decomposition and its micro-environment. Six pigs (Sus scrofa) were used as body analogues in field experiments. They were buried without lime, with hydrated lime (Ca(OH)(2)) and with quicklime (CaO) in shallow graves in sandy loam soil in Belgium and recovered after 6 months of burial. Observations from these field recoveries informed additional laboratory experiments that were undertaken at the University of Bradford, UK. The combined results of these studies demonstrate that despite conflicting evidence in the literature, hydrated lime and quicklime both delay the decay of the carcass during the first 6 months. This study has implications for the investigation of clandestine burials and for a better understanding of archaeological plaster burials. Knowledge of the effects of lime on decomposition processes also has bearing on practices involving burial of animal carcasses and potentially the management of mass graves and mass disasters by humanitarian organisations and DVI teams. / No

This dissertation aims at finding out the religious significance of Basotho ritual practices at births, weddings and funerals in Lesotho. The researcher combines literature review of scholars who have studied the Basotho socio-cultural life, with personal field study through dissemination of questionnaires, interviews and personal observations. Through this approach he finds out the various ritual practices that dot the Basotho life through the rites of passage, and then studies their religiousness in terms of traditional beliefs. He also finds out how these ritual practices have persisted in the face of Christian influence and western education, and how far they have been influenced. There is also an attempt to look into the importance of ancestor veneration in connection with Basotho beliefs and practices. The study reveals that the religious connotation of the ritual practices lies in how people seek transcendental meaning to life through the ritual practices. / Religious Studies & Arabic / M.A. (Religious Studies)