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 hap- pens 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 documen- tation, 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.