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Inhumation and cremation in medieval Mongolia: analysis and analogy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

E. Crubézy ,
F.X. Ricaut ,
H. Martin ,
S. Erdenebaatar ,
H. Coqueugnot ,
B. Maureille  and
P.H. Giscard
E. Crubézy
Affiliation:
1Departement d'Anthropologie, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS UMR 8555, 39 Allées Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse, France
F.X. Ricaut
Affiliation:
2Leverhulme Centre of Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK (Email: fx.ricaut@infonie.fr)
H. Martin
Affiliation:
3UTAH, Unité Toulousaine d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, CNRS UMR 5608, Université de Toulouse-le-Mirail, 5 Allées Antonio-Machado, F-31058 Toulouse, France
S. Erdenebaatar
Affiliation:
4Institut d'Histoire de l'Académie des Sciences de Mongolie, Département d'Archéologie, Zhuliov Street 77, Ulan Bator 54, Mongolie
H. Coqueugnot
Affiliation:
5PACEA, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie des Populations du Passé, Université de Bordeaux I, Avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence, France
B. Maureille
Affiliation:
5PACEA, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie des Populations du Passé, Université de Bordeaux I, Avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence, France
P.H. Giscard
Affiliation:
6Institut des Déserts, 76 rue d'Assas, 75006 Paris, France
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Extract

The authors study burials of the medieval period in western Mongolia shortly before emergence of Genghis Khan. They find that both inhumation and cremation are practised, with a variety of accompanying rituals. Systematic micro-analysis of bone fragments on the one hand, and the accounts of early travellers on the other, allow these researchers to propose detailed explanations of mortuary practice in thirteenth century Altai that will be highly suggestive to prehistorians working elsewhere.

Keywords

MongoliaEgyin GolGenghis Khan periodfuneral practicescremationburial
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 80 , Issue 310 , 1 December 2006 , pp. 894 - 905
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2006

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