ABSTRACT
The key to understanding archeological mortuary behavior is to reconstruct the ritual context in which burial data are created. It is this intention that represents the greatest problem for the interpretation, but is also an opportunity to infer elements of conceptual life. In order to infer intentional behaviors related to understanding ideologies of past populations, it is necessary to incorporate information that pertains to periburial mortuary activity as well as mortuary and ancestral ritual (sensu Kinnes, 1975). At times this can be deduced from the relative position of the skeletal elements in the grave. However, simple correlation of the position of skeletal elements may not only prove insufficient but may also be misleading. Research methods and approaches borrowed from forensic anthropology can contribute to this analysis. Hence, the goals of this chapter are (1) to show that disposition of skeletal elements is a relevant source of information about mortuary behavior; (2) to argue that skeletons, as bearers of this information, must be excavated by experts trained in human osteology; (3) to call for a systematic investigation of taphonomic phenomena that affect disposition of remains; and (4) to suggest ways in which forensic experts can contribute to advancing this type of analysis.
