12.2: Activity 1 - Bioarchaeology - Burial Practices

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Amanda Wolcott Paskey and AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros
Cosumnes River College & American River College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)

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Cecil Worthen, Bakersfield College

In this activity, you will delve into the most common examples of burial practices used by different cultures. Answer each of the following questions with one or two paragraphs and be sure to answer all parts of the questions. Your instructor will tell you how to format your paragraphs.

Explain the various aspects and environments in which you can encounter burials or human remains, which can be interred in various ways, including mummification (intentional and unintentional), cremation, and in coffins.
Explain the difference between intentional and unintentional burials. Provide examples, such as Egyptian mummies vs. bog bodies.
Choose a civilization or group from the past and describe their burial practices in detail, including preservation methods, types of interment, and burial settings, and what makes this style of burial unique.
List the burial practice you would like to have used for your remains after you die. Explain why you chose this particular manner of interment. What kind of data would you leave behind for future archaeologists?