Mortuary Rituals of the Gray Site
The mortuary practices examined at this site involve both primary and secondary burials, as well as a variety of post-mortem methods used in the pre-burial stages. One case of a potential cremation has been documented in the site reports. A primary burial is one where the remains are found in relative anatomical order, as the body of the deceased was interred shortly after death as the remains were still fresh. A secondary burial is therefore the opposite – the body is left out on the surface of the earth, in some manner, and is exposed to the elements for any amount of time. Out of the 98 units excavated, 20 were declared to be primary burials, while the other 78 were deemed secondary internment burials.
Primary burials at the Gray Site featured mainly infants, while some children, adult males, females, and females with infants were found. Primary burials were mainly extended burials, especially the legs, while the arms may have been bent at slight …show more content…
The nomadic hunter-gatherer group that was the Oxbow tradition built a burial ground, just north of what is present day Swift Current, and returned to it for over one thousand years, a behaviour that is difficult to comprehend. The site is comprised of 305 individuals found in 98 burial units. The remains of males and females from fetal to 55 years of age, the population that makes up this site was analyzed in depth following the five years of excavation at the Gray Site. The population was in relatively good health status, save for the dental problems that plagued many prehistoric cultures and societies. The Gray Burial site represents an important part of understanding the history of the Great Plains; it provides a unique sample of osteological, faunal, and lithic evidence, as well as offering a chance for a sociocultural analysis of activities on the
The mortuary practices examined at this site involve both primary and secondary burials, as well as a variety of post-mortem methods used in the pre-burial stages. One case of a potential cremation has been documented in the site reports. A primary burial is one where the remains are found in relative anatomical order, as the body of the deceased was interred shortly after death as the remains were still fresh. A secondary burial is therefore the opposite – the body is left out on the surface of the earth, in some manner, and is exposed to the elements for any amount of time. Out of the 98 units excavated, 20 were declared to be primary burials, while the other 78 were deemed secondary internment burials.
Primary burials at the Gray Site featured mainly infants, while some children, adult males, females, and females with infants were found. Primary burials were mainly extended burials, especially the legs, while the arms may have been bent at slight …show more content…
The nomadic hunter-gatherer group that was the Oxbow tradition built a burial ground, just north of what is present day Swift Current, and returned to it for over one thousand years, a behaviour that is difficult to comprehend. The site is comprised of 305 individuals found in 98 burial units. The remains of males and females from fetal to 55 years of age, the population that makes up this site was analyzed in depth following the five years of excavation at the Gray Site. The population was in relatively good health status, save for the dental problems that plagued many prehistoric cultures and societies. The Gray Burial site represents an important part of understanding the history of the Great Plains; it provides a unique sample of osteological, faunal, and lithic evidence, as well as offering a chance for a sociocultural analysis of activities on the