Work

Cremations and Pyrotechnologies among the Prehispanic Inhabitants of Cerro de Trincheras, Northern Mexico

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Using data from several well-preserved pyres, which are rarely found well preserved in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, we examine cremation customs and their associated pyrotechnologies at the site of Cerro de Trincheras in northern Sonora, Mexico, from AD 1300 to 1450/1500. We explore variations in pyre construction and use, thermal alterations of the deceased, the deceased individuals’ biological profiles, the performance of mortuary rituals, and the sensorial experiences of both the mourners and the wider Cerro de Trincheras community. The residents of the site were masters of the pyrotechnologies associated with cremations, making efficient pyres for the deceased and maximizing their resources. The group also created transformative funeral rituals that may have facilitated and mediated a wide range of emotional responses toward their deceased.

Source: Latin American Antiquity

DOI: 10.1017/laq.2022.64

Authors: Jessica I. Cerezo-Román, Thomas R. Fenn, Carlos Cruz Guzmán, Silvia I. Nava Maldonado, Claudia León Romero, Elisa Villalpando

Institutions: University of Oklahoma, National Institute of Anthropology and History, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Language: English

Topic: Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning

Subfield: Anthropology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,255

Funders: National Science Foundation, University of Arizona