In the Maya region, covering architecture and human remains in white marl has traditionally been interpreted as an act of defacement that accompanied some termination rituals. Recently, researchers have shown that such covering was a form of ritualized wrapping or sealing and could occur in the absence of other signs of desecration, as a part reverential termination. Here, I build on this work to argue that such sealing is not necessarily part of termination rites at all and could occur independently in mortuary contexts. I also suggest that such sealing is a distinct subset of other types of mortuary wrapping. Decoupling sealing from termination and exploring its relationship to other forms of wrapping helps refine our understanding of mortuary and ritual categories in the Maya area.

An increase in the diversity of Early Bronze Age (EBA) burial practices is well documented in central and southern Moravia between 2200-1500 BC. Apart from scarce cremations and pithoi burials, two more frequent parallel burial types appear. One is the standard burials in cemeteries, the other burials in settlement pits, the latter considered a deviation until recently. Thanks to recent excavations and new quantification procedures, however, abundance of settlement burials as well as uniformity and predictability of body deposition and grave equipment in pit burials has been shown. My intention is to show the existence of two parallel burial rites on the basis of bioarchaeological and archaeological evidence. I focus on the reconstruction of health and social status of individuals buried in settlement pits and graves. I observe the amount of demographic variability, diseases and trauma within each group. I suppose the distribution of diseases according to age, sex and archaeological record will be similar within each of the groups. As a result, we may speak about two equivalent burial practices. If deviations are encountered within settlement pits, however, we should speak about deviations or burials determined for a minority and homogeneous segment of population. Skeletons originate in two...

An increase in the diversity of Early Bronze Age (EBA) burial practices is well documented in central and southern Moravia between 2200-1500 BC. Apart from scarce cremations and pithoi burials, two more frequent parallel burial types appear. One is the standard burials in cemeteries, the other burials in settlement pits, the latter considered a deviation until recently. Thanks to recent excavations and new quantification procedures, however, abundance of settlement burials as well as uniformity and predictability of body deposition and grave equipment in pit burials has been shown. My intention is to show the existence of two parallel burial rites on the basis of bioarchaeological and archaeological evidence. I focus on the reconstruction of health and social status of individuals buried in settlement pits and graves. I observe the amount of demographic variability, diseases and trauma within each group. I suppose the distribution of diseases according to age, sex and archaeological record will be similar within each of the groups. As a result, we may speak about two equivalent burial practices. If deviations are encountered within settlement pits, however, we should speak about deviations or burials determined for a minority and homogeneous segment of population. Skeletons originate in two...