Exposure of corpses at the site of Tordillos (Aldeaseca de la Frontera, Salamanca). Bioarchaeological perspective and possible implications for the study of the Cogotas I funerary rituals

Abstract

Despite new findings of tombs (often with secondary remains) the funerary information about the Cogotas I archaeological group remains too scanty. Consequently, non-preserving burial rites, including the exposure of corpses, have been suggested at some point. The discovery of a number of skeletons in burial pits at the site of Tordillos encourages us to explore further the potential of that approach, since the bioarchaeological study has shown unambiguous evidence of that practice (canid teeth marks and other postdepositional alterations) in two of them dating in the Protocogotas I phase. Based on this, and considering ethnographic and anthropological references, it is hypothesized that corpse exposure has been the Cogotas I funerary standard. Therefore, human remains that have subsisted would belong to a small fraction of the population, those who died in unforeseen or anomalous circumstances (‘bad death’) and hence were relegated to burial pits. Thus, these tombs, that have been considered so far to be the Cogotas I standard funerary practice, would really be an exception.

Keywords

• edad del bronce
• península ibérica
• meseta central
• enterramientos en hoyo
• bioarqueología
• procesos postdeposicionales
• marcas de dientes
• mordeduras de cánido
• mala muerte