The inclusion of lime in burials is observed in historical and archaeological records, in contemporary mass graves and forensic cases. Clearly there are controversies within the literature and there is a general misconception of the effects of lime on decomposition. Recent casework in Belgium and the UK involving the search for human remains buried with lime, have demonstrated the need for a more detailed understanding of the effect of different types of lime on cadaver decomposition and its micro-environment. Field and laboratory experiments using pigs as human body analogues were undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the taphonomic processes that govern lime burials. The changes observed in the experiments were related back to archaeological parallels in which white residues have been found. The combined results of these studies demonstrate that despite conflicting evidence in the literature, hydrated lime and quicklime both delay the initial stages of the decay process but do not arrest it completely. The end result is ultimately the same: skeletonisation. Furthermore this study stresses the importance of the specific microenvironment in taphonomic research and highlights the need for chemical analysis of white residues when encountered in a burial. Not all white powder is lime. White residue could be identified as calcium carbonate, building material, body decomposition products, minerals or degraded lead. 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 have bearing on practices involving the disposal of animal carcasses and potentially the management of mass graves and mass disasters by humanitarian organisation and DVI teams. / Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the University of Bradford

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<p>This dissertation examines how human remains are circulated as material culture in contemporary Western society. It is based on an extended period of research and fieldwork carried out from September 2011 to June 2013, in addition to forensic-related research conducted from 2007 to 2010. Through interviews with individuals who handle human remains and an analysis of popular culture via social and mass media, I pose the question: How and why have the undisposed dead been made to occupy a variety of spaces in contemporary Western society; for personal use, education, sale, or veneration?</p> <p>Interviews conducted with Roman Catholic clergy confirm not only the contemporary importance and influence of human relics, but the Church’s ongoing relationship with the dismembered body. This research thus offers a counterpoint to the usual positioning of the Church as anti-science and as imposing a religious taboo toward human remains. I argue instead that the Catholic Church historically has had an important influence on the practices of anatomical dissection, and the deeply embedded Western traditions of making the undisposed dead necessary, popular and culturally acceptable.</p> <p>As an extension of my analysis of the Catholic Church’s traditions and policies around the use of human remains, I examine the institutional handling of the dead in various types of museums and compare this with how human remains are celebrated and circulated in popular culture. Lastly, I explore the work of five controversial visual artists who use human remains in their art.1 Through extensive personal interviews, conducted in their homes and studios, I demonstrate how Catholic bodies, images and symbols have profoundly inspired (rather than discouraged) these visual artists in their personal, as well as artistic narratives.</p> <p>My research shows that, contrary to the academic literature, human remains are neither imbued with fear, nor with notions of violence or taboo; neither are they deployed to symbolically encounter death. In the hands of either institutional or personal collectors, I argue that human remains are valuable commodities through which membership, identity, and knowledge are expressed in contemporary Western society.</p> <p>1 Wayne Martin Belger, Al Farrow, Andrew Krasnow, Mark Prent, Joel Peter Witkin</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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No / With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, poorly preserved archaeological human remains can often receive limited attention or be completely excluded from the analysis of archaeological sites. Although incomplete skeletons often yield minimal demographic information and can complicate the diagnosis of some pathological conditions, this is not universal. Significant information can be obtained even in partial remains on metabolic bone diseases (where, by definition, the whole skeleton is involved), and for conditions such as osteoarthritis and fractures which can be diagnosed in isolation. We present an example of an incomplete skeleton that provided valuable new information on pathological changes associated with osteomalacia, a condition that has been little studied to date in paleopathology. This skeleton also contributes to our understanding of the factors surrounding the classification of fractures, and provides new insight into the full range of circumstances in which eburnation can develop. This example demonstrates the value of including partial and poorly preserved skeletons in paleopathological analysis and the extent of information that can be obtained.

This study presents a skeletal analysis of the burials from the Elrod (12CL 1) site. This site, excavated by E.Y. Guernsey in the 1930s, has exhibited extreme commingling and loss of context. The early date, before the implementation of archaeological standards, and lack of publication are the primary sources of commingling. An outline for dealing with commingling, as well as a demographic profile and overview of health, were created during this research. The Elrod site has been characterized as a Middle to Late Archaic shell midden, though literature and analyses presented here support a stratified excavation of the Elrod burials. The stature, dentition and pathology suggest that this series contains individuals from several temporal periods and is not confined to the Middle-Late Archaic. / Department of Anthropology

This master's thesis is intended as a foundation for further development of methods for digital marine osteoarchaeology. The main purpose of this thesis was to examine and problematise the process of locating, documenting, and analyzing skeletal remains in marine archaeological, and other hard to reach sites. Three forms of osteological analysis' was performed and assessed: one based on analysis of physical skeletal remains, another based on 2D documented skeletal remains, and a third on analysis on 3D reconstructed skeletal remains. The secondary purpose of this thesis was to problematise the taphonomic effects on bodies, body parts, and bones in marine environments, necessary for the evaluation of the different methods. The analysis' has been conducted on source material provided by the research projects for the naval ships Mars and Gribshunden, the National Maritime Museum of Sweden, the Sandby Borg project, and the Çatalhöyük project. In addition, a test was carried out, with eight volunteer osteology students at Campus Gotland, Uppsala University, during a seminar exercise. The results collected through the osteological analysis' performed on the three different formats and the students osteology exercise could be used in order to highlight a variation of data available in the different formats. The results was then used in order to create a basis for future digital documentation methods that may be applied in the field. The secondary aim of this thesis was addressed through the use of the naval ships Mars and Gribshunden as case examples in order to address the limited amount of skeletal remains located so far at the marine archaeological sites. / Denna master uppsats är ämnad som grund för vidare utveckling av metoder för digital marinosteoarkeologi. Det huvudsakliga syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka och problematisera problemen kring at lokalisera, dokumentera, och analysera skeletala kvarlevor vid marinarkeologiska, och andra svåråtkomliga lokaler. Tre olika slags osteologiska analyser utfördes: en baserad på analyser av skeletala kvarlevor, en annan baserad analyser av 2D dokumenterade skeletala kvarlevor, och en tredje baserat på analyser av 3D rekonstruerade skeletala kvarlevor. Det sekundära syftet uppsatsen var att problematisera den tafonomiska påverkan på kroppar, kroppsdelar, och ben i marina miljöer, nödvändiga för utvärderingen för de olika metoderna. Analyserna har utförts på källmaterial som tillgängliggjorts genom forskningsprojekten för skeppen Mars och Gribshunden, Statens Maritima Museer i Sverige, Sandby borg projektet, och Catalhöyük projektet. Utöver detta har även en studie utförts tillsammans med åtta frivilliga osteologistudenter vid Campus Gotland, Uppsala Universitet, under en seminarieövning. Resultaten som samlades in genom de osteologiska analyserna av de tre olika källmaterialen och student studien användes för att kunna understryka den datavariation som fanns tillgänglig för de olika källmaterialen. Resultaten användes för att skapa en grund för framtida digitala dokumentationsmetoder som kan appliceras i fält. Det sekundära syftet med studien besvarades genom att använda skeppen Mars och Gribshunden som exempel för att kunna diskutera den begränsade mängden skeletala kvarlevor som hittills hittats vid de marinarkeologiska lokalerna.

This study examines activity induced articular facets and osteoarthritis in the ankle and foot complex of an Archaic hunter-gatherer population from the Gauthier (8BR-193) mortuary complex. To determine the frequency at which these characteristics occur, I scored the tibiae, tali, proximal phalanges, and metatarsals of adults and juveniles using methods developed by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) for scoring osteoarthritis and a synthesis of methods developed by Barnett (1954), and Boulle (2001a; 2001b), Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). Molleson (1989), Ubelaker (1979), for scoring articular facets. Despite significant skeletal fragmentation observed, articular facets were remarkbly complete, allowing for analysis of joint degeneration. While there does not appear to be a correlation between characteristics, the high prevalence of activity induced articular facets and osteoarthritis is indicative of extreme hyperdorsiflexion. Habitual kneeling and squatting postures are characteristic of hunter-gatherer subsistence activities as suggested by researchers such as Ubelaker (1975), Molleson (1969), and Trinkaus (1975). / by Kassandra Nelson. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 200?. Mode of access: World Wide Web.