The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight

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Standard

The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight. / Jæger, Jonas Holm; Johansen, Veronica Liv.

In: Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Jæger, JH & Johansen, VL 2013, 'The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight', Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana, vol. 2, no. 2. <https://geevh.jimdofree.com/app/download/8432344950/Jaeger+and+Johanson+13-26.pdf?t=1394808616>

APA

Jæger, J. H., & Johansen, V. L. (2013). The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight. Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana, 2(2). https://geevh.jimdofree.com/app/download/8432344950/Jaeger+and+Johanson+13-26.pdf?t=1394808616

Vancouver

Jæger JH, Johansen VL. The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight. Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana. 2013;2(2).

Author

Jæger, Jonas Holm ; Johansen, Veronica Liv. / The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight. In: Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana. 2013 ; Vol. 2, No. 2.

Bibtex

@article{e86253afe9604628ad28e869c1710b5c,
title = "The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight",
abstract = "The graves and especially the cremation graves of infants and small children (aged less than one year old) make up a relatively sparse category in the Danish archaeological records as well as in other areas. The reason for this startling under-representation has been debated for some time, but for some reason experimental studies of the cremation of infants and small children is as sparse in literature as the evidence for infant cremation graves. Even in non-archaeological literature (ie forensic and medico-legal literature), the cremation of infants is a rare subject of debate. Here we propose an experiment designed to show whether or not the bones of infants and small children (using domesticated pigs as substitutes for humans) can withstand the thermic stress they would have been exposed to in a simplistic reconstruction of a prehistoric funerary pyre. The results are measured in the post-cremation skeletal weight of the cremains and the data is then compared to our knowledge of modern-day commercial cremations of infants and small children. Our results show firstly, that the bones can indeed withstand a simplistic cremation process and secondly, that the post-cremation skeletal weight matches our knowledge of modern commercial cremations.",
author = "J{\ae}ger, {Jonas Holm} and Johansen, {Veronica Liv}",
year = "2013",
language = "English",
volume = "2",
journal = "Grupo de Estudos em Evolu{\c c}ao Humana",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The cremation of infants/small children: An archaeological experiment concerning the effects of fire on bone weight

AU - Jæger, Jonas Holm

AU - Johansen, Veronica Liv

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The graves and especially the cremation graves of infants and small children (aged less than one year old) make up a relatively sparse category in the Danish archaeological records as well as in other areas. The reason for this startling under-representation has been debated for some time, but for some reason experimental studies of the cremation of infants and small children is as sparse in literature as the evidence for infant cremation graves. Even in non-archaeological literature (ie forensic and medico-legal literature), the cremation of infants is a rare subject of debate. Here we propose an experiment designed to show whether or not the bones of infants and small children (using domesticated pigs as substitutes for humans) can withstand the thermic stress they would have been exposed to in a simplistic reconstruction of a prehistoric funerary pyre. The results are measured in the post-cremation skeletal weight of the cremains and the data is then compared to our knowledge of modern-day commercial cremations of infants and small children. Our results show firstly, that the bones can indeed withstand a simplistic cremation process and secondly, that the post-cremation skeletal weight matches our knowledge of modern commercial cremations.

AB - The graves and especially the cremation graves of infants and small children (aged less than one year old) make up a relatively sparse category in the Danish archaeological records as well as in other areas. The reason for this startling under-representation has been debated for some time, but for some reason experimental studies of the cremation of infants and small children is as sparse in literature as the evidence for infant cremation graves. Even in non-archaeological literature (ie forensic and medico-legal literature), the cremation of infants is a rare subject of debate. Here we propose an experiment designed to show whether or not the bones of infants and small children (using domesticated pigs as substitutes for humans) can withstand the thermic stress they would have been exposed to in a simplistic reconstruction of a prehistoric funerary pyre. The results are measured in the post-cremation skeletal weight of the cremains and the data is then compared to our knowledge of modern-day commercial cremations of infants and small children. Our results show firstly, that the bones can indeed withstand a simplistic cremation process and secondly, that the post-cremation skeletal weight matches our knowledge of modern commercial cremations.

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2

JO - Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana

JF - Grupo de Estudos em Evoluçao Humana

IS - 2

ER -

ID: 325021796