ABSTRACT
This, and the following chapter, concentrate on the nature of the archaeological record as it relates to burials and the way in which archaeologists excavate cemeteries. They consider the ways in which these two factors potentially limit and bias our interpretations of skeletal evidence. Skeletons in a cemetery are derived from the once living population via the intervening variables of mortality, ancient burial practices and bone survival in the soil, and none of these affect individuals in a random manner. In this chapter, mortality bias, the effects of burial practices, and the survival and decay of soft and (especially) skeletal tissues are examined.
