Session 401: Biological Profiling Of Cremated Individuals: Current Methodological Approaches And Limitations

In the bioarchaeological study of cremation burials, one of the main objectives is to obtain the biological profile of individuals. Nevertheless, the morphological and structural changes to the bone, resulting from the cremation process, and the often incomplete skeletal representation in the cremation deposit, makes it difficult or even impossible to collect the required data. Particularly in recent years, considerable efforts have been undertaken to develop and further improve specific methodologies for estimating age at death, biological sex, and paleopathologies in burnt individuals.
This session aims to promote the dissemination of the most recent (un)published work in this field, while also seeking to reflect on the possibilities and limitations these methods offer. Papers may concern morphological and/or metric macroscopic methods, as well as histology, computed tomography imaging, cementochronology, and other novel applications. Another welcome contribution is the refinement of the criteria currently used, especially for biological sex attribution, to standardize procedures and increase comparability between various communities. Since the age at death, sex, and pathologies of the deceased could have influenced their funerary treatment, obtaining a reliable osteobiographical profile is crucial. The reconstruction of both individual and group profiles boosts the understanding of factors influencing the funerary rite of past populations that adopted cremation as their main burial ritual.