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The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange: Bioarchaeological Explorations of Atypical Burials (Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives) - Hardcover

Tracy K. Betsinger (editor), Amy B. Scott (editor) & Anastasia Tsaliki (editor)

 
9781683401032: The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange: Bioarchaeological Explorations of Atypical Burials (Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives)
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 1683401034 ISBN 13: 9781683401032
Publisher: University Press of Florida, 2020

Synopsis

Abnormal burial practices have long been a source of fascination and debate within the fields of mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology. The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange investigates an unparalleled geographic and temporal range of burials that differ from the usual customs of their broader societies, emphasizing the importance of a holistic, context-driven approach to these intriguing cases.

From an Andean burial dating to 3500 BC to mummified bodies interred in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, during the twentieth century, the studies in this volume cross the globe and span millennia. The unusual cases explored here include Native American cemeteries in Illinois, “vampire” burials in medieval Poland, and a mass grave of decapitated soldiers in ancient China. Moving away from the simplistic assumption that these burials represent people who were considered deviant in society, contributors demonstrate the importance of an integrated biocultural approach in determining why an individual was buried in an unusual way.

Drawing on historical, sociocultural, archaeological, and biological data, this volume critically evaluates the binary of “typical” versus “atypical” burials. It expands our understanding of the continuum of variation within mortuary practices, helping researchers better interpret burial evidence to learn about the people and cultures of the past.

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About the Author

Tracy K. Betsinger is associate professor of anthropology at SUNY Oneonta. Amy B. Scott is assistant professor of anthropology at the University of New Brunswick. Betsinger and Scott are coeditors of The Anthropology of the Fetus: Biology, Culture, and Society. Anastasia Tsaliki is a forensic and cultural consultant based in London with an expertise in unusual body disposals and social exclusion.

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Publisher
University Press of Florida
Publication date
2020
Language
English
ISBN 10 
1683401034
ISBN 13 
9781683401032
Binding
Hardcover
Number of pages
448