Mortuary enclosure
Encyclopedia
A mortuary enclosure is a term given in archaeology
and anthropology
to an area, surrounded by a wood, stone or earthwork barrier, in which dead bodies are placed for excarnation
and to await secondary and/or collective burial. There are some parallels with mortuary house
s although the two are the products of different cultural practices and traditions regarding the treatment of the dead.
The mortuary enclosures of the British Neolithic
were sub-rectangular banks with external ditches and raised platforms of stone or wood within them, thought to be used for the exposure of corpses prior to burial elsewhere. Remains of mortuary enclosures of this period are often found under long barrow
s.
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
to an area, surrounded by a wood, stone or earthwork barrier, in which dead bodies are placed for excarnation
Excarnation
In archaeology and anthropology, the term, excarnation , refers to the burial practice of removing the flesh and organs of the dead, leaving only the bones....
and to await secondary and/or collective burial. There are some parallels with mortuary house
Mortuary house
In archaeology and anthropology a mortuary house is any purpose-built structure, often resembling a normal dwelling in many ways, in which a dead body is buried....
s although the two are the products of different cultural practices and traditions regarding the treatment of the dead.
The mortuary enclosures of the British Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
were sub-rectangular banks with external ditches and raised platforms of stone or wood within them, thought to be used for the exposure of corpses prior to burial elsewhere. Remains of mortuary enclosures of this period are often found under long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
s.