Abstract

In archaeology much of the data used to understand past behaviours derives from the funerary world. More specifically, studies focus on the status of each individual and the place occupied by death in society (Thomas, 1975). Indeed, the relationship to death and its inclusion in everyday life is expressed in the funerary practices and in the space dedicated to the deceased. The way the deceased is deposited may suggest a symbolic consideration between the dead and those left behind. The differences identified through the study of funerary practices and biological data potentially reflect variations in social status within the population. As such, funerary practices could be related to social status, sex and age-at-death (Thomas, 1975; Suzuki, 2000).