Tesi sul tema "Funeral archeology"

Cette nouvelle étude des monuments funéraires de Gaule romaine a pour but de mettre en évidence les différents procédés employés par les populations antiques pour perpétuer la mémoire de leurs morts. Que ce soit à travers l’image sculptée ou par le texte, le rappel du nom, de l’identité du défunt et des éléments propres à son quotidien étaient autant de moyens adoptés afin de garder vivace son souvenir dans le monde des vivants. L’espace géographique choisi est circonscrit à trois cités antiques, celles des Éduens, des Lingons et des Séquanes. Proches géographiquement et culturellement, ces territoires présentent en effet durant l’Antiquité des traditions funéraires similaires. Quant au cadre chronologique, il est restreint au Haut-Empire, soit du Ier au IIIe siècle ap. J.-C. À travers une analyse épigraphique et iconographique des monuments en pierre est posée la question des choix sépulcraux faits par les commanditaires. En effet, les modes de représentation divergent selon différents critères et modifient donc considérablement l'aspect et la forme des tombeaux. Ces derniers dénotent-ils des pratiques spécifiques à une cité ou à un groupe social ? De la même manière, les formulaires épigraphiques se trouvent adaptés aux informations que le commanditaire souhaite transmettre.Par des comparaisons typologiques, stylistiques et textuelles avec des monuments issus des territoires de Gaule et d’Italie, ce travail cherche à analyser les pratiques commémoratives spécifiques à des populations indigènes romanisées du Nord-est de la Gaule.À travers l’étude d’un corpus provincial, cette thèse vient ainsi compléter les différentes recherches portant sur l’art sépulcral romain
This new study of funerary monuments in Roman Gaul aims at putting emphasis on the various tools used by the ancient populations to perpetuate the memories of their dead. Thanks to carved images or texts, the mention of the name, of the identity of the deceased and of specific aspects of his everyday life were some of the means used to keep his memory alive in the world of the living. The geographical area chosen corresponds to three ancient territories : thoose of the Aeduens, the Lingons and the Sequans. Geographically and culturally close, these territories show indeed the same funeral traditions in ancient times. As for the chronological frame, it is limited to the Early Roman Empire, from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. Thanks to an epigraphic and iconographic analysis of the stone monuments, the question of the funeral choices made by the person who commisioned the tom bis raised. Indeed, the ways of evocation diverge according to different criteria, thus implying significant changes in the aspect and the shape of graves. Do the latter denote practices specific to a city or a social group ? In the same way, the epigraphic applications are suitable to the information that the dead wishes to convey.The typological, stylistic and textual comparisons made with orther monuments from Gaul and Italy enable to analyse the particular commemorative practices of indigenous romanised populations from north-eastern Gaul.Through the study of a provincial corpus, this thesis completes the various researches dealing with Roman funeral art

Argos est l’un des sites majeurs de la Grèce dont l’occupation n’a cessé depuis le Néolithique jusqu’à nos jours. Cette occupation continue se traduit par un patrimoine anthropologique riche, en partie exhumé par les fouilles de l’École Française d’Athènes. Depuis les premières fouilles de Wilhelm Vollgraff en 1902, Argos a livré plusieurs centaines de tombes dispersées dans la ville moderne. Nous adoptons ici une approche bio-archéologique des sépultures, de l’Helladique moyen à l’époque ottomane, ayant livré des restes anthropologiques, en vue d’apporter un éclairage nouveau sur ce qui pouvaient être les conditions de vie à Argos. Un travail d’identification est tout d’abord réalisé afin de rendre exploitable cette collection, en grande partie issue de fouilles anciennes. Pour les 341 individus dénombrés, on a procédé à une estimation du sexe et de l’âge à travers l’étude anthropologique. Une étude croisée est ensuite réalisée faisant appel à des disciplines variées telles que : l’anthropologie dentaire, l’étude des isotopes stables ou encore la tribologie. Cela nous fournit une carte d’identité unique des individus de cette collection. Notre synthèse illustre l’intérêt de ce type d’approche multidisciplinaire en revisitant notre perception de l’Helladique moyen (2000-1600 BC), La confrontation des données bio-archéologiques et des pratiques funéraires permet de confirmer, ou parfois de nuancer, nos connaissances sur la Grèce mésohelladique parfois qualifiée de “tiers monde” de l’Égée. On y entrevoit un monde certes difficile, mais dans lequel la position d’Argos semble finalement relativement confortable en comparaison des sites voisins
Argos is one of the major sites of Greece whose occupation has continued since the Neolithic to the present. This continued occupation results in a rich anthropological heritage, partly revealed by the excavations of the French School of Athens. Since the first excavations conducted by Wilhelm Vollgraff in 1902, Argos has revealed hundreds of graves scattered in the modern city. We adopt here a bio-archaeological approach of the burials from the Middle Helladic to the Ottoman period, which delivered anthropological remains, with the intention to shed new light on what could have been the living conditions in Argos. An identification work is first performed to make usable this collection, which largely results from earlier excavations. For the 341 individuals listed, sex, age and stature could be determined through anthropological study. A crossover study was then carried out using a variety of disciplines such as dental anthropology, the study of stable isotopes or tribology. This provides us with a unique description of the individuals of this collection. Our synthesis illustrates the value of this type of multidisciplinary approach by revisiting our perception of the Middle Helladic period (2000-1600 BC). Comparison of bio-archaeological and burial practices data confirms or sometimes nuances, our knowledge of mesohelladic Greece sometimes called the “third world” of the Aegean. It envisions a world that is certainly difficult, but in which Argos finally seems to be in a relatively comfortable position compared to neighboring sites

Cette thèse propose de réévaluer nos connaissances sur le mobilier de parure daté du Premier âge du Fer (800-400 a.C.) dans une zone comprise entre le sud-ouest de la France et le nord-ouest de l'Espagne. La large emprise géographique de ce travail, à cheval sur deux pays aux traditions de recherche distinctes, est déterminée par des résultats antérieurs qui avaient pu mettre en exergue plusieurs rapprochements typologiques entre ces deux régions sans en dessiner précisément les contours. L'objectif est donc de pallier ce manque et de porter une analyse à la fois chronologique, spatiale, culturelle et sociale du mobilier d'apparat. Pour ce faire, cette thèse s'appuie sur un corpus de parures issues de fouilles anciennes et récentes rassemblées dans une base de données relationnelles. La première étape d'analyse est réservée à la mise en place de typologies. Les relations taphonomiques des objets et les comparaisons avec les vestiges similaires venant de régions extérieures à notre cadre d'étude permettent d'actualiser les chronologies connues jusqu'alors pour les parures. Lors d'une seconde étape, la synthèse typo-chronologique du corpus découvert en contexte funéraire mène à la reconnaissance d'un phasage chronologique général. Ce phasage, qui partitionne en trois horizons l'intervalle retenu, est marqué d'une part par sa proximité avec celui reconnu dans le sud-est de la France, et d'autre part par un léger décalage entre les phénomènes observés sur les sites établis au nord et au sud des Pyrénées. Fondée sur cette trame chronologique, l'analyse spatiale du corpus permet de rendre compte de l'emprise territoriale de faciès mobiliers locaux et de leurs évolutions dans le temps. L'identification d'un faciès "pyrénéen" et son expansion à la fin du Premier âge du Fer est l'un des apports majeurs de cette étude. Enfin, lors d'une troisième et dernière étape, cette thèse propose une analyse sur les porteurs de parures. L'utilisation d'analyses factorielles de correspondances (AFC) autorisent la reconnaissance de divers costumes funéraires pour lesquels les parures jouent un rôle prépondérant dans la représentation d'un système social organisé et complexe
This thesis proposes to re-evaluate our knowledge on ornamental furniture dated to the Early Iron Age (800-400 BC) in an area between southwest France and northwest Spain. The wide geographical scope of this work, taking place between two countries with distinct research traditions, is determined by previous results that had been able to highlight several typological similarities between these two regions without precisely drawing their outlines. The objective is to fill this gap and to provide an analysis that is chronological, spatial, cultural and social of the ceremonial furniture. To do this, this thesis is based on a corpus of ornaments from ancient and recent excavations gathered in a relational database. The first stage of analysis is reserved for the implementation of typologies. The taphonomic relationships of these objects and comparisons with similar remains from regions outside our study allow us to update the chronologies known until then. During a second stage, the typo-chronological synthesis of the corpus discovered in the funeral context leads to the recognition of a general chronological phasing. This phasing, which divides the selected interval into three horizons, is marked on the one hand by its proximity to what is knows in south-eastern France, and on the other hand by a slight discrepancy between the phenomena observed on the sites established to the north and south of the Pyrenees. Based on this chronological framework, the spatial analysis of the corpus makes it possible to account for the territorial hold of local movable facies and their evolution over time. The identification of a "Pyrenean" facies and its expansion at the end of the Early Iron Age is one of the major contribution of this study. Finally, during a third and last stage, this thesis proposes an analysis on the wearers of ornamentals. The use of correspondence factor analysis (CFA) allows the recognition of various funeral costumes for which the ornamentals plays a predominant role in the representation of an organized and complex social system

Desde 1989, entre las labores realizadas por la Misión Arqueológica Española en Siria se encontraba un programa de prospección y estudio del territorio, en el cual se enmarcaban los yacimientos donde se estaba excavando (Tell Qara Qūzāq y Tell Jamīs). Este programa abarcaba una amplia zona de terreno y también un extenso marco cronológico. Aprovechando esta investigación arqueológica en el Éufrates se pudo constatar la existencia de numerosas cuevas labradas, de índole funeraria algunas y monacales otras.A raíz de esta línea de investigación inicial, esta Tesis ve la luz desde el Instituto del Próximo Oriente Antiguo que me ofreció la posibilidad de estudiar directamente todos los restos de época romana y bizantina que se habían localizado en sus continuas excavaciones y prospecciones en Siria, concretamente en el entorno de Qara Qūzāq.
Since 1989, among the works carried out by the Spanish Archaeological Mission in Syria, was an program of surveys and study of the territory in which there was digging (Tell Qara Quzaq and Tell Jamis). This program didn't only include a wide land area but also an extensive chronological horizon. This way, taking advantage of this archaeological research in the Euphrates you could verify the existence of numerous figured caves, of funeral nature some and monkish others. Soon after this line of initial research, this Thesis sees the light from the Instituto del Próximo Oriente Antiguo (IPOA) that offered me the possibility to study directly and in more intensity all the remains of Roman and Byzantine time that had been located in its continuous excavations and surveys in Syria, concretely in Qara Quzaq's environment, main centre of the archaeological mission from where the IPOA acted in this region.

This thesis examines funerary iconography for evidence of Roman attitudes towards children, childhood and the family. Based on 690 portrait monuments drawn from select areas of the Western Empire, its central hypothesis is that the commemorations are best read as highly artificial constructs which reveal more about the social preoccupations of the commissioners than the lives of the children whom they represent. The first of the seven chapters defines the parameters of the accompanying catalogue and discusses the benefits of studying a diverse range of monuments (rather than isolated "show-pieces"). The methodological section which follows assesses the cultural limitations and identification problems inherent to funerary material and considers how the terms "child" and "portrait" are best defined in this medium. The four subsequent chapters analyse the following key areas: the ages, genders and attributes of children; the presentation and composition of the family; the iconography of surrogate and extended relationships; and the archaeological context of funerary display. In each case any emotional interpretations which surround the material are discussed and then countered with alternative, and better supported, social readings. It is argued that previous research has been based on samples which are too limited in terms of size, genre and geographical scope and influenced too heavily by a desire to prove parental benevolence and the existence of "love" and "affection" within the Roman household. By exposing demographic biases and iconographic problems, it is shown that commissioners were actually using the image of the child for overtly social purposes, with some of the results being subject to substantial, and hitherto unacknowledged, regional variation. The conclusion then reassesses a well-known example to show that while Roman parents did attach importance to their children, funerary evidence can only prove it to be of a social, rather than an emotional, nature.

L’objectif principal de ce travail est de réaliser une analyse chrono-culturelle du mobilier funéraire issu d’une trentaine de sites, pour la période comprise entre le IXème et le IIIème siècle, afin d’émettre des hypothèses sur les formes d’interaction culturelle entre l’espace luxembourgeois et les régions avoisinantes (Lorraine, Rhénanie-Palatinat, Sarre, Province de Luxembourg), ainsi que sur leur évolution au cours du temps. L’exploitation au moyen d’outils de sériation d’un corpus de près de 400 objets (vases en céramique, parure annulaire, armement, accessoires vestimentaires, de toilette, vaisselle métallique) permet de proposer un phasage chrono-culturel valide pour l’ensemble de l’aire étudiée. Alors qu’aux XIème - Xème siècle av. n. è., l’appartenance de l’espace étudié à l’entité RSFO semble indéniable, au regard des faciès céramiques, on observe, au cours du IXème et au début du VIIIème siècle av. n. è., la présence de différents marqueurs culturels illustrant une multiplication des contacts et des échanges avec des zones périphériques et plus lointaines. Aux VIIème et VIème siècles, les ensembles luxembourgois présentent à nouveau une certaine homogénéité, et révèlent surtout une similitude éloquente avec les assemblages de mobilier des sépultures du Hunsrück-Eifel, sans pour autant adopter la totalité des attributs de ce courant culturel. La période fin VIème - IVème siècle est marquée par l’influence de deux courants dominants : le Hunsrück-Eifel “récent” et l'Aisne-Marne. La présence de tombes privilégiées témoigne alors de connexions avec d’autres espaces de l’Europe occidentale caractérisés par un processus de hiérarchisation sociale. À la fin de la séquence prise en compte, la quasi-absence de mobilier funéraire caractéristique du IIIème siècle, résulte probablement d’un biais documentaire lié aux aléas de la recherche
The main objective of this work is to carry out a chrono-cultural analysis of funerary objects from around thirty sites, covering the period between the 9th and 3rd centuries BC, in order to propose hypotheses on the forms of cultural interaction between Luxembourg and the neighbouring regions (Lorraine, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Province of Luxembourg), as well as their evolution over time. A corpus of nearly 400 objects (ceramic vases, ring ornaments, weaponry, clothing accessories, toiletries, and metal tableware) has been analysed using seriation tools, allowing us to propose a chrono-cultural phase applicable to the entire area studied. While in the 11th–10th centuries BC, the region appeared to belong to the RSFO entity in terms of ceramic facies, during the 9th and early 8th centuries BC, various cultural markers began to appear, illustrating increased contact and exchange with peripheral and more distant areas. In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, finds from Luxembourg once again show a degree of homogeneity, revealing a striking similarity with the burial assemblages of the Hunsrück-Eifel culture, though not adopting all of its attributes. From the late 6th to the 4th century BC, the region was influenced by two dominant cultural currents: the 'recent' Hunsrück-Eifel and the Aisne-Marne. The presence of elite tombs indicates connections with other areas of western Europe, which were characterised by a process of social hierarchisation. By the end of the sequence under study, the virtual absence of funerary material typical of the 3rd century BC is likely due to a documentary bias resulting from the limitations of research

La ricerca ha analizzato i monumenti funerari ad edicola in Italia settentrionale, una categoria funeraria monumentale diffusa ed importante; sono stati presi in considerazione sia quelli in ottimo stato di conservazione sia quelli attestati da poche membrature superstiti, per un totale di circa quaranta esemplari. La schedatura del materiale è servita per comprendere diversi aspetti inerenti alla diffusione di questa importante forma architettonica nel territorio preso in esame: le numerose varianti architettoniche adottate, specificatamente quella a edicola quadrangolare e quella a tholos circolare; la diffusione geografica in senso assoluto e rapportata alle diverse varianti, approfondita anche per alcune caratteristiche decorative singolari; la diffusione cronologica; la committenza che si è rivolta a questo genere di monumenti funerari; l’influenza esercitata e subita rispetto ad altre forme coeve e successive di sepolture.

La ricerca ha analizzato i monumenti funerari ad edicola in Italia settentrionale, una categoria funeraria monumentale diffusa ed importante; sono stati presi in considerazione sia quelli in ottimo stato di conservazione sia quelli attestati da poche membrature superstiti, per un totale di circa quaranta esemplari. La schedatura del materiale è servita per comprendere diversi aspetti inerenti alla diffusione di questa importante forma architettonica nel territorio preso in esame: le numerose varianti architettoniche adottate, specificatamente quella a edicola quadrangolare e quella a tholos circolare; la diffusione geografica in senso assoluto e rapportata alle diverse varianti, approfondita anche per alcune caratteristiche decorative singolari; la diffusione cronologica; la committenza che si è rivolta a questo genere di monumenti funerari; l’influenza esercitata e subita rispetto ad altre forme coeve e successive di sepolture.

2015 - 2016
The research was devoted entirely to the study of funeral pyres dating from the second half of the 4th century BC and the beginning of II century BC, attested in nine different necropolis selected as a sample area - Verghina, Derveni, Thessaloniki, Aineia, Aghios Athanasios, Pydna, Methone, Lefkadia and Pella - and located along the Thermaic Gulf of Central Macedonia. The purpose of the investigation was to reconstruct the funerary rite of secondary deposition cremation, which in Macedonia is often performed by the sovereigns and the aristocratic class in the so-called "heroic" way described in the Homeric text of the Iliad. This funerary practice, in which pyre and burial do not coincide but constitute two distinct moments of a single complex funeral process, expresses behavior codes that are reflected in a series of clearly recognizable material signs in the archaeological excavation. The reconstruction has been attempted with the exclusive help of the archaeological data retrieved scattered in the bibliography so far published in modern Greek language, consisting of charred layers, outcome of funeral pyres, found rarely in situ, most frequently in a secondary deposition, accumulated around or above the corresponding burials. Interest has thus focused on the identification of this particular burial costume’s passage, the last ring with a strong ritual value, of a long chain that ends with the erection of the artificial mound. In single context, on the basis of the funeral or sacrificial nature of the investigated charred residue, a reconstructive hypothesis is proposed, of both the funeral pyre, which always goes beyond a simple pile of wood placed on the ground, and the sacrificial act - enagismòs - offered with fire in honor of the deceased, after his burial and erection of the mound. From the comparison of individual partial hypotheses, linked to a specific funerary context, facilitated by creating an elaborated ad hoc synoptic table, attempts were made to deduce considerations of a general nature which could give the idea of the entire ritual process’s carrying out, at least in its most macroscopic passages. The rearrangement of the data obtained from the edited bibliography enabled a comprehensive comparison of the charcoal layers, by listing the different aspects and variants, by highlighting the preferences regarding the location of the piles in relation to the grave, by distinguishing the pyres found in a primary deposition from those found in a secondary deposition, by considering the choices on the funeral setup, by analyzing the various classes of materials found inside them to argue recurrences and constants, linked to the rank, gender and age of the deceased. The archaeological data - the charred stratifications pertinent to funeral pyres - if identified in its distinctive features and interpreted in the correct manner, today renders likelihood to the so-called "homeric" or "heroic" funeral rite, so far considered simply a story produced by literary fiction. Such costume, made for and by royal or equestrian high rank personalities, is an expression of an aristocratic world with a purely warlike character; with the advent to the power of Philip II and then of Alexander the Great, we are witnessing the realization of monumental funeral pyres, the rediscovery and the voluntary imitation of the "homeric" funeral costume, practiced by the royalists and members of the Macedonian court in Aegae (modern Verghina) but also in the rest of the territorial area investigated, strongly marked by the presence of the Macedonians. [edited by author]
XXIX n.s.

This thesis analyzes seven cemeteries datable between the 4th and the 8th century AD, located in three areas of Northern Italy (Bergamo, Modena, Verona), through a multidisciplinary approach based on archaeology, bio-archaeology and stable isotopes analysis, to be applied to skeletal materials. The aim is to investigate the characteristics of the population from the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods, focusing on the themes of nutrition and individuals’ migration, examined through the chemical analysis of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium. The analyzed sample is composed by 254 individuals, which were kindly provided by the Archaeological Soprintendenza of Veneto, Lombardia and Emilia Romagna. In each different area both late antique and early medieval cemeteries were studied, in order to compare the data in diachrony: in the Bergamo area the necropolis selected were the ones of Covo loc. Bellinzana (4th-6th c.), Caravaggio loc. Masano (6th-7th c.) and Fara Olivana (6th-8th c.); in the Modena area, Spilamberto via Macchioni (4th-6th c.) and Cava Ponte del Rio (6th-8th c.); in the Verona area, Povegliano loc. Croce (4th-6th c.) e loc. Ortaia (6th-8th c.). First of all, the author highlights the funerary rites using the the analysis of the graves taphonomy. The implementation of bio-archaeology enabled the reconstruction of the biological profile (gender, age at the death, height), the health condition and employment activities of each individual, in order to define the whole composition and lifestyle of the population. The analysis showed that, in spite of the hard working condition, the general health was fair. The results of the stable isotopes analysis of carbon and nitrogen of both collagen (bones and dentin) and carbonate of dental enamel mark territorial differences in nutrition between the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Different systems of subsistence between coeval late antique necropolis can be observed, in fact in Covo (Bg) nutrition was based on C4 plants, such as millet (Panicum miliaceum and Setaria Italica) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor); instead, diet in Spilamberto (Mo) was based on C3 plants, such as wheat, barley and oats. The use of different plants could be referred to different economies. The analyzed early medieval individuals show a nutrition based on C3, a kind of diet which could indicate either a cultural choice as well as an access to more food resources by these communities than the late antique populations. With reference to the mobility of the population, the data acquired both from the dental enamel carbonate (carbon and oxygen) and from the dentin, indicate only 3 possible allochthonous individuals (1 from the site of Caravaggio and 2 from Povegliano, Ortaia). A pilot study about the isotopic analysis of strontium, performed in order to track allochthonous individuals in the Spilamberto (Mo) cemetery, shows that 3 women had different origins in comparison to the other people buried in the same necropolis. In the whole, the data aquired are currently opening new research perspectives about the characteristics of both society and economies in the transitional period between Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages in Northern Italy.
La presente tesi analizza 7 cimiteri con cronologia tra IV e VIII secolo d.C., situati in tre province dell’Italia settentrionale (Bergamo, Modena, Verona), attraverso una metodologia multidisciplinare applicata al materiale scheletrico, basata su archeologia, bioarcheologia e analisi degli isotopi stabili. L’obiettivo è indagare le caratteristiche del popolamento tra tardo antico e alto medioevo, con particolare attenzione ai temi dell’alimentazione e della mobilità degli individui, analizzati attraverso le analisi chimiche degli isotopi stabili di carbonio, azoto, ossigeno e stronzio. Il campione studiato è composto da 254 individui, messi a disposizione dalle Soprintendenze Archeologia del Veneto, della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna. All’interno delle diverse aree, si sono studiati cimiteri tardoantichi e altomedievali, per confrontare i dati anche in diacronia: per Bergamo, Covo loc. Bellinzana (IV-VI sec.), Caravaggio loc. Masano (VI-VII sec.), Fara Olivana (VI-VIII sec.); per Modena, Spilamberto via Macchioni (IV-VI sec.) e Cava Ponte del Rio (VI-VIII sec.); per Verona, Povegliano loc. Croce (IV-VI sec.) e loc. Ortaia (VI-VIII sec.). Una prima analisi archeologica ha delineato la ritualità funeraria sulla base della tafonomia delle tombe. L’applicazione della bioarcheologia ha permesso di ricostruire il profilo biologico (diagnosi di sesso, stima dell’età alla morte, statura), lo stato di salute e le attività occupazionali per ogni soggetto, al fine di delineare la composizione e lo stile di vita complessivo della popolazione. L’analisi ha dimostrato che, nonostante le condizioni lavorative dovessero essere dure, lo stato di salute generale delle popolazioni era discreto. I risultati delle analisi sugli isotopi stabili di carbonio e azoto sul collagene (osso e dentina) e sul carbonato dello smalto dentale hanno evidenziato delle differenze territoriali nella tipologia di alimentazione tra tardoantico e altomedioevo. Nel periodo tardoantico, si osservano differenti sistemi di sussistenza tra le necropoli coeve, infatti a Covo (Bg) l’alimentazione è basata su piante C4, come miglio (Panicum miliaceum e Setaria Italica) e sorgo (Sorghum bicolor); mentre a Spilamberto (Mo) è su base di piante C3, come grano, orzo e avena. L’uso delle diverse piante potrebbe essere riferito a sistemi economici diversi. Nell’altomedioevo, gli individui analizzati mostrano un’alimentazione basata su piante C3. Questo tipo di dieta potrebbe indicare sia una scelta di tipo culturale sia l’accesso da parte di queste comunità a maggiori risorse alimentari rispetto al tardoantico. Per la mobilità, i dati derivanti dal carbonato dello smalto dentale (carbonio e ossigeno) e dal collagene della dentina, hanno evidenziato una possibile alloctonia solo per 3 individui (1 dal sito di Caravaggio - Bg e 2 da quello di Povegliano loc. Ortaia - Vr). Lo “studio pilota” relativo alle analisi isotopiche dello stronzio per rintracciare individui alloctoni nei contesti cimiteriali di Spilamberto (Mo), ha dimostrato che 3 donne della necropoli altomedievale avevano una provenienza diversa rispetto ai restanti individui. I dati nel loro complesso aprono nuove prospettive di ricerca sulle caratteristiche della società e sull’economia in questo periodo di transizione in Italia settentrionale.

The thesis analyses the family portraits on Roman funerary monuments (reliefs, altars, tombstones and statuary groups), coming from Rome and the Italian territory up to the Alps (Regiones V-XI) and dating from the 1st century BC to the early 4th AD. It aims to investigate the household composition and its relations with the funerary realm, by identifying the codification of iconographical features related to kin. After a short introduction on family in Roman time, the analysis moves through the different types of monuments and delineates their complex geographical and chronological distribution. This is shared by the sepulchral iconography, which is characterized by a large variability: it has stressed the need to classify depictions in different schemas, drawn at the same time on the number of portraits, on their distribution and on gender and age differences. In this way it has been possible to delineate the geo-chronological evolution of the iconography and to discover its serial parental meaning. Later, the analysis addresses the familiar significance of dress, attributes and gestures, identifying age and gender distinctions according to the different schemas. In the last part, the social impact of such representations is investigated: it contributes to delineate the general tendencies of family funerary portraiture and helps to link them to “every-day” structure of Roman household.
La tesi affronta lo studio delle raffigurazioni a soggetto familiare su monumenti funerari di epoca romana – rilievi, altari, stele, gruppi statuari –. Vengono considerati i segnacoli già editi provenienti dai territori tra Roma e l’arco alpino (Roma, Regiones V-XI), nel periodo compreso tra il I secolo a.C. e l’inizio del IV d.C. Il lavoro si pone l’obiettivo di indagare la famiglia del tempo ed il suo rapporto con l’ambito funerario, attraverso il riconoscimento dei criteri di codificazione dei legami di parentela nell’immagine sepolcrale, nel loro sviluppo crono-geografico. Dopo una breve disamina del concetto di famiglia in epoca romana, lo studio affronta l’evoluzione dei supporti monumentali, tratteggiando una complessa distribuzione che ricalca da vicino quella delle diverse varianti iconografiche. Le immagini sono caratterizzate, infatti, da un’ampia variabilità, che ha reso necessaria una classificazione degli schemi sulla base del numero di persone ritratte, dell’età, del sesso e della posizione reciproca: in tal modo si delinea non solo l’evoluzione complessiva delle iconografie, ma anche se ne definiscono i significati parentali ricorrenti. Successivamente si analizza il valore familiare di vesti, attributi e prossemica, riconoscendone i criteri di distinzione generazionale e di genere. Infine si indaga il valore sociale della raffigurazione e si individuano i criteri iconografici generali del ritratto funerario di famiglia, correlandoli successivamente alla realtà “quotidiana” dei nuclei domestici romani.

Il presente lavoro prende in considerazione i reperti architettonici rinvenuti a Brescia e non ancora oggetto di un’analisi complessiva, al fine di restituire una storia della città mediante la sua architettura pubblica e privata dall’età tardorepubblicana fino al IV sec. d.C. I settori della ricerca riguardano: i monumenti pubblici, l'architettura delle domus e i monumenti funerari.
The project aims to take into consideration the architectural materials found in Brescia, which have been not yet analysed extensively. The main goal is to offer a history of local architecture from Romanization to late Antiquity. The survey is extended to public architecture (temples, forum, Basilica), and private buildings (domus and funeral monuments).

Il presente lavoro prende in considerazione i reperti architettonici rinvenuti a Brescia e non ancora oggetto di un’analisi complessiva, al fine di restituire una storia della città mediante la sua architettura pubblica e privata dall’età tardorepubblicana fino al IV sec. d.C. I settori della ricerca riguardano: i monumenti pubblici, l'architettura delle domus e i monumenti funerari.
The project aims to take into consideration the architectural materials found in Brescia, which have been not yet analysed extensively. The main goal is to offer a history of local architecture from Romanization to late Antiquity. The survey is extended to public architecture (temples, forum, Basilica), and private buildings (domus and funeral monuments).

Il lavoro intende presentare l'eterogenea collezione di rilievi funerari – urne, altari, sarcofagi e loro frammenti – di epoca romana conservati presso l’Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum di Boston. Attraverso l’analisi delle ricerche svolte presso il Museo e altri archivi e istituzioni, l’obiettivo della Tesi è ricostruire la storia dei ventisette rilievi antecedente alle acquisizioni e possibilmente dal loro ritrovamento, darne una descrizione dettagliata e tentare una classificazione che permetta di riconoscere il legame dei pezzi della raccolta con altri rilievi simili dal punto di vista iconografico e conservati in altre collezioni, sia per quanto riguarda i singoli oggetti, sia considerando la raccolta del Museo nella sua interezza.

Il lavoro intende presentare l'eterogenea collezione di rilievi funerari – urne, altari, sarcofagi e loro frammenti – di epoca romana conservati presso l’Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum di Boston. Attraverso l’analisi delle ricerche svolte presso il Museo e altri archivi e istituzioni, l’obiettivo della Tesi è ricostruire la storia dei ventisette rilievi antecedente alle acquisizioni e possibilmente dal loro ritrovamento, darne una descrizione dettagliata e tentare una classificazione che permetta di riconoscere il legame dei pezzi della raccolta con altri rilievi simili dal punto di vista iconografico e conservati in altre collezioni, sia per quanto riguarda i singoli oggetti, sia considerando la raccolta del Museo nella sua interezza.

The Chaukhandi Tombs, some 29 kilometers on the left of National Highway (Karachi-Thatta-Hyderabad) are remarkable for their elaborate and exquisite carvings. Their style of architecture is not only typical but unique in the sense that it is nowhere else to be found in the Islamic world. According to a rough estimate, the number of such graveyards ranges between 200 to 300. The ‘Chaukhandi graveyard near Landhi town of Karachi city was brought within pale of Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904 in the year 1922. The meaning and connotation of the term Chaukhandi is still controversial whether it is an architectural term or the name of a place. These sand stone built tombs are attributed with Jokhia and kalmati tribes and believe to be built between 16th to 18th centuries. The tombs are generally pyramid in shape and are embellished with beautiful carvings depicting both geometrical and floral motifs. Some of the graves contain human and pictorial representations in the form of hunting scenes, jewellery, arms and amour etc. A detailed study by Shaikh Khurshid throwing the light on the origin, their style of architecture, the history of the people lying buried there, the system of burial, the various forms of figural representation and decorative motifs, their social life and above all their profession, as it shows from their depiction that mainly they were warriors, craftsmen. The motive of my research is to survey and document all such tombs in Sindh and Baluchistan, and to glorify the uniqueness and beauty of this peculiar funerary architecture, as with the passage of time and without any measure steps taken for the preservation of this site, due to human negligence and nature vandalism, have suffered irreparable damage. In order to find some new aspects of Chaukhandi Tombs, I have spent a good amount of time in this graveyard and have taken keen interest to take in-depth study especially with regard to the origin of their style of architecture and the indigenous influences on these tombs.

The dissertation analyses the reliefs and paintings on thirty-one different tombs in Western Anatolia erected between 600 and 450 BC, in order to illuminate the ways in which non-Greek elites were identified on their memorials. The tombs from three areas are treated: Phrygia, Hellespontine Phrygia and Lydia, where the primary language groups were Phrygian, Mysian and Lydian. There is little literary evidence for these regions, and what there is tends to focus on political developments. Descriptions of people and society are few, and tend to represent them from an outside perspective, grouping them according to cultural characteristics which differentiate them from Greeks. It is clear, however, that the regions were important, prosperous places, controlled by illustrious grandees and land marked with a relatively high proportion of monumental tombs. Of these monumental tombs, there is a relatively high number decorated with striking and articulate images. There is much to be gained from examining the images on these tombs, as ‘indigenous’ sources for how elite Western Anatolians described themselves. Previous approaches to the tombs and their images have tended to look at them individually or in smaller groups, and to concentrate on the transmission and reception of Persian and Greek culture in the Achaemenid provinces. This dissertation contributes a broader comparative study of the decorated tombs, focussing on the kinds of statuses the images represent and the cultural forms these took. By comparing the various methods of self-representation, it clarifies patterns of identities in Western Anatolia and their relationship to historical circumstances. The dissertation is divided into five chapters. An introduction outlines the scope and sample, the historical background, previous studies of the monuments, the definition of ‘identity’ and the methods of analysis adopted here. Three case study chapters present the regions and the decorated monuments within them. A concluding chapter synthesises three aspects: social identities (roles and spheres of life represented); geographic and chronological patterns; and cultural affiliations and orientations. The dissertation concludes that a tension between Persian identities and local traditions is evident in some of the tomb images, which relates to the political upheavals in Western Anatolia and the Aegean at the time of the Persian Wars.

La investigació que es presenta pretén aprofundir en el coneixement de les pràctiques funeràries de la societat argàrica (2200-1550 cal ANE), una de les més importants de la prehistòria recent europea, a través de l’estudi de la necròpolis del jaciment epònim de El Argar (Antas, Almería) . Els estudis sobre la mort han estat tractats des de nombroses disciplines de les ciències socials. En les últimes dècades, des de l’arqueologia i la prehistòria s’han obert noves línies d’investigació que han realitzat aportacions rellevants al respecte i que han contribuït de manera important a la comprensió del món funerari de El Argar Malgrat aquests èxits, la investigació ha girat al voltant de la consideració del valor i la riquesa dels ítems trobats a les tombes i les seves possibles implicacions socials. Una de les contribucions d’aquesta proposta rau en aproximar-se a elles a través de l’anàlisi de la composició i disposició espacial del objectes en les sepultures argàriques. La revisió documental de l’Archivo Siret al Museo Arqueológico Nacional juntament amb l’anàlisi espacial basat en tècniques estadístiques ha estat l’eix vertebrador d’aquest estudi. La premissa central d’aquest treball ha estat que la presència i el posicionament dels artefactes en la tomba argàrica expressen una dimensió més de la pràctica funerària. Aquesta dimensió pot ser explorada a través de l’anàlisi i la comparació. Conèixer si van existir composicions de la mort semblants i la seva variabilitat permetrà conèixer si hi va haver una/unes forma/es normativa/es d’enterrament i si aquestes van expressar una noció comuna i compartida entre el grup social o comunitat.
La investigación que se presenta pretende profundizar en el conocimiento sobre las prácticas funerarias de la sociedad argárica (2200-1550 cal ANE), una de las más importantes de la prehistoria reciente europea, a partir del estudio de la necrópolis del yacimiento epónimo de El Argar (Antas, Almería). Los estudios sobre la muerte han sido abordados desde numerosas disciplinas dentro de las ciencias sociales. En las últimas décadas, desde la arqueología y la prehistoria se han abierto nuevas líneas de investigación que han realizado aportaciones relevantes al respecto y que han contribuido de forma importante en la compresión del mundo funerario de El Argar. Pese a esta diversidad de logros, la investigación ha girado en torno a la consideración del valor y la riqueza de los ítems hallados en las tumbas y sus posibles implicaciones sociales. Una de las contribuciones de esta propuesta radica en aproximarse a ellos a través del análisis de la composición y disposición espacial de los objetos en las sepulturas argáricas. La revisión documental del Archivo Siret en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional junto con el análisis espacial basado en técnicas estadísticas ha sido el eje vertebrador de este estudio. La premisa central de este trabajo ha sido que la presencia y el posicionamiento de artefactos en la tumba argárica expresan una dimensión más de la práctica funeraria. Esta dimensión puede ser explorada a través del análisis y la comparación. Conocer si existieron composiciones de la muerte semejantes y su variabilidad permitirá conocer si hubo o hubieron forma/s normativa/s de enterramiento y si estas expresaron una noción común y compartida entre el grupo social o comunidad.
The main goal of this dissetation is to expand the knowledge on the funerary practices of the El Argar society (2200-1550 cal BCE), one of the most important archaeological groups of the European Late Prehistory, through the investigation of the necropolis of the eponymous site of El Argar (Antas, Almería). The study of death has been approached from numerous disciplines of the social sciences. In the last decades archaeology and prehistory have made relevant contributions to the topic, which have significantly improved the understanding of the argaric funerary world. Despite many successes, most of the research has focused on the value and richness of the argaric grave goods and their social repercussion. This work attempts to contribute to the subject through an analysis of the composition and spatial distribution of the objects found in the argaric graves. The inspection of the Siret Archive deposited at the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in conjunction with a spatial analysis using statistical methods, constitute the backbone of this study. The fundamental premise of this work is that the presence and positioning of artifacts in the graves is a key aspect of the argaric funerary practices. This dimension can be studied through the analysis and comparison of the graves at El Argar. Analysing similar compositions of death and their variability will be crucial to elucidate if there were normative forms of burial and if these expressed a shared and common notion within the argaric communities.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Arqueologia Prehistòrica

The area examines the Friuli hills between the river Tagliamento to the west and the river Torre to the east; morphologically, the territory covers an area of approximately 500 sq km and is characterized by the hills of the Tilaventino morainal amphitheater, whose formation dates back to the middle-late Pleistocene glacial expansions. In Roman times, this land was part of the Regio X; it is still an ongoing debate the attribution of the northern portion of the area under investigation to the municipium of Iulium Carnicum, rather than to the Aquileia ager. The recognition and reconstruction of the centuriation plans have been equally challenging, to the point that the dedicated section shows the identification of the iso-oriented remains of the "Classic" centuriation related to Aquileia and the so-called centuriation of San Daniele and Tricesimo. After a systematic collection of archival and bibliographic records and a following consistent work of synthesis, the research deals with an in-depth study of the necropoles and isolated Roman burials in the Friuli hills. The use of Quantum GIS and Access database has allowed the preparation of a number of diachronic thematic maps, as a functional reference for the analysis of the area under investigation in relation to the spatial organization and movement of products. The analysis of the rites and funerary objects, although partly affected by the limited quantity and quality of reports of excavations and findings, has enabled the acquisition of new data relating to the type of burials especially with regards to the early stages of occupation, which is now determined to date back not earlier than the Augustan age, when it witnessed a strong socio-economical development, with the full absorption of cultural elements typical to the Roman world. It seems possible to date from around the second quarter of the first century AD the transition from ritual cremation to interment. For the Late Antique period, the survey data show a significant decrease in findings and a change in funerary rituals, alongside a reduction of funerary objects both in quantity, in variety and value of the deposited artefacts. Regarding the relationship between rural cemeteries and settlements, in the I-II century the distance between the findings seems to be set at around 300 m; in the Late Antique period a significant number of cases proves the reuse of residential sites for burial purposes, as already documented in the urban centres. The social, economic, cultural and ritual aspects emerging from the study of funeral objects were compared, where possible, with the regional contexts and the findings from neighbouring territories, highlighting standardization in ceramic forms and associations of materials inside the tombs . The study of pottery has also demonstrated the poor circulation of imported products, some of which were recognized as local imitations. The study of funerary inscriptions from Buja, San Daniele, Osoppo, Fagagna, Cassacco and Adorgnano di Tricesimo is of considerable interest; it is a valuable source of information, with 4 references to the Claudia tribe, an indication of an – administrative? – link with the territory of Iulium Carnicum, until today considered only a speculation. In some cases the type of monumental evidence indicates considerable economic potential reached by some members of the local bourgeoisie.
L’area prende in esame il Friuli collinare compreso tra il fiume Tagliamento a ovest e il Torre a est; morfologicamente, il territorio si estende su una superficie di circa 500 kmq ed è caratterizzato dalle colline dell’anfiteatro morenico tilaventino, la cui formazione risale alle espansioni glaciali del Pleistocene medio – superiore. In epoca romana questa fascia di territorio faceva parte della Regio X; ancora discussa è l’attribuzione al municipium di Iulium Carnicum, piuttosto che all’agro di Aquileia, della porzione settentrionale del comprensorio indagato. Altrettanto difficili rimangono il riconoscimento e la ricostruzione delle pianificazioni centuriali, al punto che nel settore in questione si sono individuati resti iso-orientati riferibili alla centuriazione “classica” di Aquileia e alle cosiddette centuriazioni di San Daniele e Tricesimo. La ricerca affronta, prima con una sistematica raccolta della documentazione archivistico-bibliografica esistente e, in seconda battuta, attraverso un grosso lavoro di sintesi, lo studio approfondito delle necropoli e delle sepolture isolate di epoca romana note nel Friuli collinare. L’utilizzo di Quantum Gis e di Access come database ha permesso la predisposizione di numerose carte tematiche diacroniche, funzionali alla lettura del territorio in relazione all’organizzazione spaziale e alla circolazione dei prodotti. L’analisi dei riti e dei corredi funerari, sebbene inficiata in parte dalla limitata quantità e qualità delle notizie di scavi e di ritrovamenti, ha consentito l’acquisizione di nuovi dati relativi alla tipologia delle sepolture soprattutto per quanto riguarda le prime fasi dell’occupazione, che viene ora fissata non prima dell’epoca augustea, momento in cui si assiste ad un vero e proprio boom sia a livello numerico che socio-economico, con il completo assorbimento degli elementi culturali tipici del mondo romano. Sembra possibile inquadrare intorno al secondo quarto del I secolo d.C. il passaggio dal rito crematorio all’inumazione. Per la fase tardoantica, il censimento delle evidenze documenta un significativo calo nelle attestazioni e un cambiamento nei rituali funerari, con riduzione dei materiali di corredo sia nelle quantità che nella varietà e valore dei manufatti deposti. Nel quadro che presenta il rapporto tra necropoli rurali ed insediamenti, nel I-II secolo la distanza tra le evidenze sembra fissata intorno ai 300 m; per il periodo tardoantico una serie significativa di casi dimostra il riutilizzo a scopo sepolcrale dei siti di carattere abitativo, come già documentato per i centri urbani. Gli aspetti sociali, economici, culturali-rituali forniti dallo studio dei corredi sono stati confrontati, ove possibile, con i contesti regionali editi e con le attestazioni dei territori limitrofi, evidenziando una standardizzazione nelle forme ceramiche e nelle associazioni di materiali all’interno delle sepolture. Lo studio delle ceramiche ha dimostrato inoltre la scarsa circolazione di prodotti di importazione, di cui si sono riconosciute alcune imitazioni locali. Considerevole interesse riveste lo studio sulle iscrizioni funerarie attestate a Buja, San Daniele, Osoppo, Fagagna, Cassacco e Adorgnano di Tricesimo; si tratta di una preziosa fonte di informazione che fornisce interessanti dati onomastici, con ben 4 riferimenti alla tribù Claudia, indizio di un legame – amministrativo? – con il territorio di Iulium Carnicum, fino ad oggi solo postulato. La tipologia delle evidenze monumentali denota in alcuni casi le notevoli potenzialità economiche raggiunte da alcuni esponenti della borghesia locale.

The research focuses on the use of animals in ritual deposits. It is based in the analysis of the faunal remains recovered from the internal funerary and ritual structures carved in the clay, in the site of the Early Bronze Age of Can Roqueta II (Sabadell, Barcelona). The results show that children, women and men were buried together in a very similar ceremony and accompanied by animals. Sheep and goats, cows, pigs and dogs are the best-represented, although carnivores and birds are also documented. While many of these animals were offered as a meal to accompany the deceased on his journey, the dogs, which were not consumed, were probably sacrificed as guides of the soul. The research aims to show that animal sacrifice is a universal response to death, with slight differences that probably reflect cultural and social adjustments.
La investigación se centra en la utilización de los animales en depósitos rituales. Se basa en el análisis de los restos faunísticos recuperados del interior de estructuras funerarias y rituales excavadas en la arcilla del asentamiento de la edad del bronce inicial de Can Roqueta II (Sabadell, Barcelona). Los resultados muestran que niños, mujeres y hombres eran enterrados de forma muy similar y acompañados de animales sacrificados. Ovejas y cabras, vacas, cerdos y perros son los mejor representados, aunque también se documentan carnívoros y varias especies de aves. Mientras que muchos de estos animales se ofrecían como comida de acompañamiento al difunto en su viaje, los perros, que no se consumían, se sacrificaban probablemente como guías de las almas. La investigación propone mostrar que el sacrificio animal es una respuesta universal a la muerte, con leves diferencias que responden seguramente a adaptaciones culturales y sociales.

In Northern Italy there are some particular structures funeral, denominated in the critical literature “putridaria” (strainer room), associated with particular funeral practices diffused in Italy in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. These structures, which are normally placed in crypts beneath the churches, allowed to intervene in the processes of decomposition and were functional to the prolonged treatment of the corpses. After death the bodies were placed in these environments, on particular seats, called strainers, (used to desiccate the bodies, eliminating the body fluid), where they stayed until the body was completely skeletonized and free from soft tissue. Following its complete drying the body underwent a second burial, often accompanied by a new funeral. The purpose of this research is to give an interpretation of the intended use of these structures facilities and the universe ritual, ethics and religion to which they responded, through the examination of archival sources and anthropological investigation of the remains. These types of structures were also found in other Italian regions, especially in southern Italy, where, however, the practice was intended to mummify instead of skeletonizing the bodies. These buildings reflect the concept of death in terms of duration and second burial, developed by Hertz [1994] and Van Geenep[1981]. Concepts that seemed to have been eradicated from the Catholic Church and instead have stood in the heart of Modern Europe. There is also reason to believe that such structures, although a critical literature about it is missing, spread to other areas of the Mediterranean, indeed, the Spanish monarchs still use for their burials in the Escorial monastery structures identical to putridaria identified in Italy.

L’étude des restes humains et des archives de fouille de 5 cimetières de la concession de Kadruka (Northern State, Soudan) représentait une occasion unique d’étudier l’évolution des populations néolithiques et des pratiques funéraires du Néolithique de la Haute-Nubie. L’objectif de cette thèse était de reconstituer la biologie de ces populations (y compris l’étude de l’état sanitaire et des caractères discrets dentaires) et les gestes de la séquence funéraire dans leur contexte chronoculturel. Grâce à l’examen de 643 individus (pour l’étude biologique) et de 734 structures (pour l’analyse funéraire) des sites de KDK 1, KDK 2, KDK 18, KDK 21 et KDK 23 et en comparant les informations issues de l’étude de ces 5 ensembles, nous parvenons à discuter l’homogénéité de ces groupes humains et leurs relations biologique et culturelles. Bien que l’analyse de la variation anatomique non métrique (en particulier des caractères discrets dentaires) indique une certaine continuité et une uniformité globale au cours du Néolithique, des arguments peuvent également être avancés sur les brassages de population en lien avec les processus de migration, peut-être multiples et discontinues, ainsi que les processus d’acculturation. Les profils de mortalité, les marqueurs de stress non spécifiques et d’autres indicateurs paléopathologiques fournissent des témoins de la variabilité des groupes et de leurs pratiques. Par exemple, l’exclusion des individus immatures les plus jeunes de certains des cimetières, des pourcentages divergents d’incidence des caries dentaires et d’utilisation des dents comme outils témoignent de processus variables d’évolution de l’économie, de la subsistance et de la structuration de la société. Bien que globalement l’analyse des pratiques funéraires fournisse une image homogène, nos données soulignent autour d’une « norme funéraire » une variabilité « en continu » assez significative au sein de la séquence funéraire (changements importants du mobilier d’accompagnement, occupation et structuration variable des espaces funéraires, etc.). Enfin, ce travail porte un regard critique sur ce qu’apporte l’étude de la concession de Kadruka pour une meilleure compréhension de l’expérience funéraire du Soudan préhistorique, ainsi que le long de la vallée du Nil et à travers le Sahara. En examinant les données d’un point de vue synchronique et diachronique, nous avons atteint notre objectif d’identifier les courants, les évolutions et les particularités culturelles de l’ensemble de Kadruka ainsi que du Néolithique soudanais au sens large
The human remains and excavation archives from 5 cemeteries from the Kadruka concession represented a unique opportunity for the study of the evolution of Neolithic populations and funerary practices in Neolithic Upper Nubia. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to reconstruct the biology of these populations (their health and lifeways) as well as to examine the specific practices at work in the different sequences of the funerary cycle within a chronological framework. Through the study of the 643 individuals (for the biological analysis) and 734 structures (for the archaeological analysis) from KDK 1, KDK 2, KDK 18, KDK 21 and KDK 23 and their comparison, it was possible to discuss the homogeneity of these populations from a biological and cultural standpoint. While the analysis of non-metric anatomical variation (specifically the discrete dental traits) points toward an overall continuity and uniformity throughout the Neolithic, though arguments may also be advanced based on this data for thinking flexibly about population admixture and processes of acculturation following migration patterns that may be multiple and discontinuous. Mortality profiles, non-specific stress markers, and other palaeopathological and occupational indicators, provide evidence of significant variability with biological, as well as cultural implications. Elements related to the processes of change at work within these societies, at a critical chronological and cultural juncture in the Prehistory of Upper Nubia, are perceptible through the study of these funerary groups. For example the exclusion of younger infants within burial areas otherwise including the remains of older individuals, the percentage of carious teeth incidence within populations and the use of teeth as tools, all speak to shifts in economy, subsistence and the structuring of society. While our analysis of funerary practice appears globally homogenous, our data also points to significant variability within an otherwise established and stable funerary sequence (important shifts in grave goods, variable occupation and structuring of the cemetery space, etc.). Finally, this work takes a critical look at the place the Kadruka concession now occupies within the greater understanding of the funerary experience in Prehistoric Sudan, as well as along the Nile river valley and across the Sahara. In examining data from a synchronic and diachronic perspective, across a wide variety of regions and contexts, we achieved our goal of identifying cultural undercurrents, evolutions and particularities for the Kadruka ensemble, as well as for the Sudanese Neolithic more broadly

This thesis focuses mainly on the subject of the so-called process of orientalisation, how this process shows on selected pre-Roman archaeological sites, and how it is presented in Italian archaeology. Analysis of funeral contexts is used as a base for chronological timeline, the nature of the orientalising process as well as the degree of its uniformity. With the help of the collected data will be proposed a hypothesis regarding the character of social changes and whether it is appropriate to use the term "orientalisation" when describing these changes.

Lo studio delle necropoli enotrie di Tortora è stato finalizzato alla definizione di una produzione ceramica legata alla tradizione indigena geometrica e aperta, nel contempo, alle influenze culturali del mondo greco, tra VI e V secolo a.C. Il panorama offerto dalla cultura materiale ha permesso di approfondire i temi della ritualità post mortem e dell’organizzazione socio-economica della comunità indigena, nel quadro di un processo di rinnovamento e di sviluppo politico e culturale che coinvolge l’Italia meridionale e, in modo particolare, la fascia costiera del medio Tirreno, in seguito all’instaurarsi di relazioni stabili con le poleis greche.

Questo progetto di ricerca si è proposto di esaminare, attraverso l'analisi dei rituali funerari performati nel corso dell’età del Bronzo nella Sicilia nord-orientale e orientale, le dinamiche di popolazione in senso qualitativo analizzando le dinamiche di relazione culturale, intese come mobilità di conoscenze e ideologie, e le dinamiche etniche, intese come mobilità di persone. Nel primo caso, il lavoro è consistito nell'analisi del rito dell'enchytrismòs attraverso la lettura tafonomica delle deposizioni e la valutazione dei cinque aspetti del complesso funerario. Nel secondo caso, il metodo ha previsto l'analisi tipologico/formale dei contesti a cremazione della Sicilia e dell’Italia peninsulare meridionale e l'analisi antropologica dei resti cremati della necropoli protostorica di Milazzo. Questo tipo di ricerca ha reso necessario l'approfondimento di alcuni temi di carattere teoretico ed empirico in modo tale da instaurare una dialettica tra necessità e strumenti interpretativi, attraverso un potenziamento della conoscenza della complessità e potenzialità espressiva di un contesto di necropoli. Il lavoro si è basato su una revisione degli argomenti dell’antropologia culturale e sociale, e sulla proposta di un nuovo metodo di indagine ispirato all'approccio semiotico all'archeologia. La ricerca, svolta a partire dall'analisi dei record archeologico e antropologico e dalla introduzione di inediti livelli di analisi, ha permesso non solo di ricostruire in modo verosimile le dinamiche sociali e il contenuto di ideologie e credenze delle comunità di riferimento (riuscendo a cogliere l'evoluzione interna del rito e la differenziazione in rituali), ma anche di scardinare teorie interpretative ormai consolidate e rivelatesi non aderenti ai dati oggettivi.

De outubro de 2015 a julho de 2016 ocorreu uma intervenção arqueológica nos nºs 84 a 90 da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, em Lisboa, executados pela empresa Era-Arqueologia no âmbito da reabilitação e reconversão urbana de um edifício. No local foi possível identificar aterros de cronologia moderna/contemporânea relacionáveis com a construção do próprio edifício, sobre um espaço de necrópole do período Imperial Romano e um nível de escorrência que continha material enquadrável na pré-história recente, possivelmente proveniente de ocupação do Calcolítico/Idade do Bronze na colina de Sant’Ana. O espaço funerário era composto por nove sepulturas de inumação primária e duas estruturas que poderão ter tido utilidade funerária. O espólio associado forneceu dados sobre os seus contornos funcionais e simbólicos a nível espiritual e religioso. Pretende-se identificar a origem de fabrico dos materiais de maneira a perceber o poder aquisitivo manifestado na prática funerária. Os dados fornecidos pela escavação, traduziram-se na identificação de mais uma parcela da Necrópole Noroeste de Olisipo, da sua extensão para norte. Assim sendo, até ao momento sabe-se que a necrópole compreende a Praça da Figueira, o Largo de São Domingos, a Encosta de Santana, a Calçada do Garcia, o núcleo da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão e mais a norte a Calçada do Lavra. Consequentemente, a par de dar a conhecer este contexto funerário, pretende-se também contribuir para um conhecimento mais aprofundado e informado sobre a Necrópole Noroeste de Olisipo.
From October 2015 to July 2016, an archaeological intervention took place at numbers 84 to 90 of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, carried out by the company Era-Arqueologia as part of the urban rehabilitation and conversion of a building. At the site, it was possible to identify embankments of modern/contemporary chronology related to the construction of the building itself, on a necropolis space from the Imperial Roman period and a level of runoff that contained material that fits into recent prehistory, possibly from the occupation of the Chalcolithic/ Bronze Age on the hill of Sant'Ana. The funerary space was composed of nine primary burial tombs and two structures that may have had funerary use. The associated estate provided data on their functional and symbolic contours on a spiritual and religious level. It is intended to identify the origin of manufacture of materials in order to understand the purchasing power manifested in funerary practice. The data provided by the excavation resulted in the identification of another portion of the Northwest Necropolis of Olisipo, from its northern extension. Thus, until now it is known that the necropolis comprises Praça da Figueira, Largo de São Domingos, Encosta de Santana, Calçada do Garcia, the nucleus of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão and further north, Calçada do Lavra. Consequently, in addition to making this funerary context known, it is also intended to contribute to a deeper and more informed knowledge of the Northwest Necropolis of Olisipo.

The present study aims at throwing light on a lesser explored facet of the Hindu set of beliefs on death and afterlife, that is to say their material culture expressions resulting in the erection of funerary monuments. Although widespread all over India and known to scholars since the colonial time, only few systematic studies have been so far carried out on the wide number of structures which can be ascribed to the Hindu funerary milieu since ancient time to present; this was certainly favoured, on the one hand, by the paucity and ambiguity of references to them contained in literary sources, and, on the other, by the highly destructive nature of the corpse treatment in India, something which is too often associated with a supposed lack of regularity in the production of semata. Ethnographical and archaeological surveys actually reveal an authentic proliferation of such materials in the frame of Hinduism, for which the present study proposes a first consistent classification. Taking into account the manifold regional varieties of shapes and designations - too often flattened by the English umbrella name “memorial stones” – this work offers a categorization of the Hindu funerary artifacts on the ground of three objective parameters (structure, function and nature) and analyzes their coming into existence as a consequence of a certain attitude towards the commemoration of the deceased, that at the level of folk religion may turn into the divinization of the departed soul by different degrees of identification with God. Focusing on the subclass of materials which are dedicated to individuals who perished in extraordinary circumstances (namely, hero-stones), the present work also offers an illustrated catalogue of materials, which is the result of the collection of over three hundred specimens in a selected region of India (the south-eastern districts of Maharashtra) and the first of its kind encompassing a detailed art-historical appraisal.