Taphonomic, paleopathological, and paleodemographic analyses of human remains from the Mid Upper Paleolithic of western Eurasia are increasingly documenting a diversity of mortuary behaviors among these successful Late Pleistocene foragers. These considerations are joined by three associated pairs of otherwise isolated appendicular remains from the site of Pavlov I (the Pavlov 31 partial hands and the Pavlov 37 and 38 tarsometatarsal skeletons), previously described morphologically but not assessed in terms of their taphonomy. They are described here with respect to their contexts and patterns of preservation to assess possible taphonomic and/or mortuary implications of these sets of antimeres. Subchondral articular bone that is free of carbonate encrustation on at least the Pavlov 37 pedal remains suggests some degree of articulation in situ. Although root etched, the elements lack carnivore or other vertebrate damage, as well as cut marks. Even though associated unilateral hand or foot remains are unexceptional among the fur-bearing faunal remains, the bilateral presence of these human remains raises questions concerning the taphonomic and behavioral/ mortuary processes responsible for their preservation: do they represent portions of abandoned human bodies, remains of naturally disturbed burials, extremities left from secondary burials, and/or intentionally manipulated human body portions? Any combination of these processes expands current perceptions of the mortuary diversity among these early modern humans., Sandra Sázelová, Jarosław Wilczyński, Piotr Wojtal, Jiří Svoboda, Erik Trinkaus., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
In 2018, during a rescue archaeological excavation taking place in one of the gardens of Staré Město near Uherské Hradiště, 23 early medieval graves containing skeletal remains of 26 individuals were detected. The site is situated on the northern border of the well-known Great Moravian burial ground ‘Na Valách’. In a large number of the newly excavated graves, greater or lesser deviations from the usual funeral rite were recorded. While the established burial rite in Great Moravian society means the deceased lies on their back in the supine position with extended extremities and head towards the west, here we found skeletons in very different orientations, lying in a prone or crouched position, or, at least, with unusual positions of their upper or lower limbs. Additionally, some of the graves contained incomplete or no skeletons. There is also one double burial and a triple burial, and several graves in superpositions. In nine graves, objects of material culture were found, the most important of them come from the rider’s grave 20/2018. The presented study aims to interpret the burial contexts using the bioarchaeological approach, which is, however, affected by the quality of the preserved finds, especially skeletal remains.