A Mortuary Analysis of Adult and Child Burials of Río Viejo, Oaxaca, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Mortuary practices are symbolically charged activities that vary depending on wealth, religion, manner of death, and even age. Recent excavations of the site of Río Viejo, Oaxaca, Mexico, suggest similar burial practices between adults and children during the Early Postclassic (AD 800–1100) and Late Classic (AD 500–800). The current understanding of burial practices between adults and subadults in Río Viejo has differed according to the location of burials, the position of the bodies, and associated offerings. Here, 10 Early Postclassic and 11 Late Classic burials are examined to identify patterns in burial practices by utilizing both “The Standards” and Arturo Romano’s burial system. Preliminary data reveals adult burials are spatially incorporated into households whereas children were found outside of these structures. This is important because understanding Río Viejo’s burial practices can be insightful to social relations of adults versus children while also respecting their individuality and giving voice to the burials.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37558.0