Cremation during the Early period (1000 BC – 600 AD) in the archaeological site Matecaña (Pereira) 

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Four funerary urns from the archaeological site Matecaña (Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia) were analyzed to understand the cremation mortuary practice during the Early period (1000 BC–600 AD). This archaeological record does not count with direct descendants and is under the stewardship of the Universidad de Caldas, which follows adequate processes to allow a good conservation and protection of the human remains that are treated with respect and dignity. The cremains went through an anatomical classification that led to establishing the Minimal Number of Individuals with the Landmark System, as well as a reconstruction of their biological profile and an interpretation of the macroscopic changes made by heat exposure, such as colorimetry, the degree of cremation, presence of heat-induced changes, and the temperature that the incineration reached. The results showed that the funerary cycle had three processes divided into eleven stages. During the first moment, the biological death of the individual leads to rituals and a temporary deposition. After this, the second process is where the cremation is carried out, following the skeletonization of the corpse. The combustion of at least 28 individuals of different ages (fetal, infants, and adults) was intense (400-> 600°C) and finalized with their burial in funerary urns from a typology of the Early period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38390.0