The IberomaurusiannecropolisofTaforalt(Morocco,11-12000BP),excavatedbyRocheinthe1950s, contains28multiplegraves.ThefunerarypracticesoftheTaforaltpopulationhavebeenthefocusof a previouswork(Mariottietal.,2009). Intheabsenceoftheexcavationrecordsofthenecropolis,these funerary practiceswereinvestigatedthroughtheanalysisofthecontentsofeachgraveandthedistri- butionofintentionallymodified specimens(ochre-dyeing,cutmarks).Previousresearchhasdrawn particularattentiontoGraveXII(containingthreemaleadultsandtwojuveniles),wheremanyinten- tionally modified specimenswereidentified. Thepresentstudyfocusedspecifically onthehuman remains recoveredfromGraveXII.Analysisoftheseremainshasprovidedevidenceofinterventions, such asdismembermentanddefleshingofthecadaver,andtheuseofochretocolourthebones. Furthermore, thepresenceoflesionsontwoskullssuggeststhepossibilityofintentionalkillingand cannibalismamongtheTaforaltpopulation.Thisstudyfurthersupportsourpreviousimpressionofthe complexanddiversified funerarypractices,characterisingthesociallifeoftheIberomaurusian populationofTaforalt.
Funerary practices of the Iberomaurusian population of Taforalt (Tafoughalt, Morocco,11-12,000 BP): the case of Grave XII
BELCASTRO, MARIA GIOVANNA;MARIOTTI, VALENTINA
2010
Abstract
The IberomaurusiannecropolisofTaforalt(Morocco,11-12000BP),excavatedbyRocheinthe1950s, contains28multiplegraves.ThefunerarypracticesoftheTaforaltpopulationhavebeenthefocusof a previouswork(Mariottietal.,2009). Intheabsenceoftheexcavationrecordsofthenecropolis,these funerary practiceswereinvestigatedthroughtheanalysisofthecontentsofeachgraveandthedistri- butionofintentionallymodified specimens(ochre-dyeing,cutmarks).Previousresearchhasdrawn particularattentiontoGraveXII(containingthreemaleadultsandtwojuveniles),wheremanyinten- tionally modified specimenswereidentified. Thepresentstudyfocusedspecifically onthehuman remains recoveredfromGraveXII.Analysisoftheseremainshasprovidedevidenceofinterventions, such asdismembermentanddefleshingofthecadaver,andtheuseofochretocolourthebones. Furthermore, thepresenceoflesionsontwoskullssuggeststhepossibilityofintentionalkillingand cannibalismamongtheTaforaltpopulation.Thisstudyfurthersupportsourpreviousimpressionofthe complexanddiversified funerarypractices,characterisingthesociallifeoftheIberomaurusian populationofTaforalt.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
