The Revival of Prehistoric Burial Practices: Three Archaeological Experiments

Abstract

The article presents the results of three burial experiments, carried out in 2005, the aim of which was to attempt to understand what exactly happens to a physical body after death in different environments. The experiments were simulations of an open air burial, a stone cist burial and a cremation, for which the dead bodies of a calf and pigs were used. Next to technical documentation, the emotions and impressions of the experiment participants during the observations of body decomposition and the cremation process were recorded. The authors suggest that a cognitive approach to burial experiments could offer us an alternative view to understanding rituals and interpreting prehistoric burials.