ABSTRACT
Burial practices, resulting from deliberate behaviors and actions, are the focus of a field of social analysis based upon the hypothesis that graves are the result of intentional acts. The archaeoanthropological material from Central Asia is no exception to this rule, as shown in this brief overview. Here, we present some of our results and hypotheses about the funerary practices of the Middle of the Bronze Age at Ulug Depe (Kopet Dagh) and Dzharkutan (northern Bactria). Due to their size and long duration, the settlements and necropolises at both sites provide exceptional evidence for understanding the origins, development, and disappearance of the proto-urban cultures of Central Asia.
