Bioarchaeological Evidence for Social Maturation in the Mortuary Ritual of Ipiutak and Tigara Hunter-Gatherers: Lifespan Perspectives on the Emergence of Personhood at Point Hope, Alaska

2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-251
Author(s):  
Lauryn C. Justice ◽  
Daniel H. Temple
Keyword(s):  
Body Position ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Tooth Formation ◽  
Mortuary Ritual ◽  
Point Hope ◽  
Grave Good ◽  
Relational Interactions ◽  
Grave Goods

Identity is a concept that shifts over the lifespan in association with relational interactions. This study documents and interprets the cultural systems influencing shifts in identity during maturation in hunter-gatherers from Point Hope, Alaska through archaeological mortuary practices. Grave goods, body position, body orientation, and burial depth (underground versus surface) were recorded for Ipiutak (1500–1100 BP) and Tigara (800–400 BP) cultures. Age was estimated using tooth formation. No age differences in burial depth were found, likely reflecting environmental constraints. Changes in body orientation, body position, and grave-good allocation were found between three and four years with another increase in grave-good allocation after age six. A larger age range of individuals without grave goods was found at Tigara. Changes in bodily orientation and position likely reflect beliefs surrounding the soul. The initial presence of animal implements may represent gifting of amulets, while increases in these items at later ages indicate continued maturation. Differences in the age ranges of individuals without animal implements between the two sites may reflect stronger delineations of social prestige at Ipiutak. These findings hint at the complex relational pathways associated with the formation of identity in prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities.

scholarly journals Grief and Burial in the American Southwest: The Role of Evolutionary Theory in the Interpretation of Mortuary Remains

2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas H. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
American Southwest ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Mortuary Ritual ◽  
Grave Good ◽  
Main Determinants ◽  
Good Differentiation ◽  
Grave Goods

Evolutionary theory, in consort with Marxism and processualism, provides new insights into the interpretation of grave-good variation. Processual interpretations of burial sites in the American Southwest cite age, sex, or social rank as the main determinants of burial-good variation. Marxist theorists suggest that mortuary ritual mediates social tension between an egalitarian mindset and an existing social inequality. Evolutionary theory provides a supplementary explanatory framework. Recent studies guided by kin-selection theory suggest that humans grieve more for individuals of high reproductive value and genetic relatedness. Ethnographic examples also show that individuals mourn more intensively and, thus, place more social emphasis on burials of individuals of highest reproductive value (young adults). Analysis of grave goods from La Ciudad, a Hohokam site in the American Southwest, supports the hypothesis that labor value, reproductive value, and grief contributed to grave-good differentiation. At La Ciudad, individuals between the ages of 10 and 20 possessed more and higher-quality grave goods on average than any other age group. Grief at the loss of a young adult of high reproductive and labor value may facilitate explanation of mortuary variation at La Ciudad, as well as other sites in the greater Southwest and beyond.

Mesolithic mortuary ritual at Franchthi Cave, Greece

Antiquity ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 69 (263) ◽  
pp. 270-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Human Remains ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Burial Practices ◽  
Mortuary Ritual ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Southern Greece ◽  
Mesolithic Burials

Mesolithic sites are rare in the Aegean, and Mesolithic burials are uncommon throughout Europe. The Mesolithic human remains from Franchthi Cave, that remarkable, deeply stratified site in southern Greece, offer a rare glimpse into the burial practices of early Holocene hunter-gatherers of the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Grave Goods in Early Medieval Europe: regional variability and decline

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Brownlee
Keyword(s):  
Early Medieval ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Low Countries ◽  
The North ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Medieval Europe ◽  
Grave Good ◽  
Gis Methods ◽  
Individual Choices ◽  
Grave Goods

This article analyses the use of grave goods in burials across early medieval Europe and how that use changed over the course of the 6th to 8th centuries CE with the widespread transition to unfurnished burial. It uses data gathered from published cemetery excavation reports from England, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The grave good use in these cemeteries was analysed using GIS methods to visualise regional differences, as well as statistical methods to analyse how grave good use evolved over time in those regions. This analysis revealed clear regional distinctions in grave good use, with England and Alamannia appearing similar, with relatively high levels of grave good use. Meanwhile, parts of Frankia and of Burgundy had considerably lower levels of grave good use. Distributions of individual artefact types tended to match those of overall numbers, but there were a few key exceptions, such as vessels, which followed a quite different pattern, being found in high numbers along the Frankish coast, but in much lower numbers elsewhere. Despite these overall trends, there was still considerable intra-regional and intra-cemetery variation that suggests communities and individuals had the ability to make highly individual choices about the way to bury their dead, along with the ability to subvert local norms. It also revealed that while there was a general decline in the use of grave goods across this period, and everywhere eventually reached the point of almost completely unfurnished burial, this decline occurred at different rates. In particular, there was a zone around the North Sea, including Kent, western Frankia, and the Low Countries, where there was little change in grave good use until it was suddenly abandoned in the early 8th century. Different types of objects declined at different rates across different regions, with few clear trends, suggesting that only personal accessories held a common significance across Europe; the meanings of all other object types were negotiated on a local basis.

scholarly journals Hummingbirds control turning velocity using body orientation and turning radius using asymmetrical wingbeat kinematics

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (116) ◽  
pp. 20160110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson J. G. Read ◽  
Paolo S. Segre ◽  
Kevin M. Middleton ◽  
Douglas L. Altshuler
Keyword(s):  
Body Position ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Total Force ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Turning Radius ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Dependent Mechanism

Turning in flight requires reorientation of force, which birds, bats and insects accomplish either by shifting body position and total force in concert or by using left–right asymmetries in wingbeat kinematics. Although both mechanisms have been observed in multiple species, it is currently unknown how each is used to control changes in trajectory. We addressed this problem by measuring body and wingbeat kinematics as hummingbirds tracked a revolving feeder, and estimating aerodynamic forces using a quasi-steady model. During arcing turns, hummingbirds symmetrically banked the stroke plane of both wings, and the body, into turns, supporting a body-dependent mechanism. However, several wingbeat asymmetries were present during turning, including a higher and flatter outer wingtip path and a lower more deviated inner wingtip path. A quasi-steady analysis of arcing turns performed with different trajectories revealed that changes in radius were associated with asymmetrical kinematics and forces, and changes in velocity were associated with symmetrical kinematics and forces. Collectively, our results indicate that both body-dependent and -independent force orientation mechanisms are available to hummingbirds, and that these kinematic strategies are used to meet the separate aerodynamic challenges posed by changes in velocity and turning radius.

scholarly journals Function of the heterocercal tail in sharks: quantitative wake dynamics during steady horizontal swimming and vertical maneuvering

2002 ◽  
Vol 205 (16) ◽  
pp. 2365-2374 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Wilga ◽  
G. V. Lauder
Keyword(s):  
Body Position ◽  
Classical Model ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Vortex Rings ◽  
Direct Reaction ◽  
Body Angle ◽  
Tail Function

SUMMARYThe function of the heterocercal tail in sharks has long been debated in the literature. Previous kinematic data have supported the classical theory which proposes that the beating of the heterocercal caudal fin during steady horizontal locomotion pushes posteroventrally on the water, generating a reactive force directed anterodorsally and causing rotation around the center of mass. An alternative model suggests that the heterocercal shark tail functions to direct reaction forces through the center of mass. In this paper,we quantify the function of the tail in two species of shark and compare shark tail function with previous hydrodynamic data on the heterocercal tail of sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus. To address the two models of shark heterocercal tail function, we applied the technique of digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) to quantify the wake of two species of shark swimming in a flow tank. Both steady horizontal locomotion and vertical maneuvering were analyzed. We used DPIV with both horizontal and vertical light sheet orientations to quantify patterns of wake velocity and vorticity behind the heterocercal tail of leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata) and bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium punctatum) swimming at 1.0Ls-1, where L is total body length. Two synchronized high-speed video cameras allowed simultaneous measurement of shark body position and wake structure. We measured the orientation of tail vortices shed into the wake and the orientation of the central jet through the core of these vortices relative to body orientation. Analysis of flow geometry indicates that the tail of both leopard and bamboo shark generates strongly tilted vortex rings with a mean jet angle of approximately 30 ° below horizontal during steady horizontal swimming. The corresponding angle of the reaction force is much greater than body angle (mean 11 °) and the angle of the path of motion of the center of mass (mean approximately 0 °), thus strongly supporting the classical model of heterocercal tail function for steady horizontal locomotion. Vortex jet angle varies significantly with body angle changes during vertical maneuvering, but sharks show no evidence of active reorientation of jet angle relative to body angle, as was seen in a previous study on the function of sturgeon tail. Vortex jet orientation is significantly more inclined than the relatively horizontal jet generated by sturgeon tail vortex rings, demonstrating substantial differences in function in the heterocercal tails of sharks and sturgeon.We present a summary of forces on a swimming shark integrating data obtained here on the tail with previous data on pectoral fin and body function. Body orientation plays a critical role in the overall force balance and compensates for torques generated by the tail. The pectoral fins do not generate lift during steady horizontal locomotion, but play an important hydrodynamic role during vertical maneuvering.

Skeletal and dental maturation relative to tooth formation in prehistoric hunter-gatherers from Cis-Baikal, Siberia

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 100239
Author(s):  
Daniel H. Temple ◽  
Angela R. Lieverse ◽  
Vladimir I. Bazaliiskii ◽  
Kate Faccia ◽  
Andrzej Weber
Keyword(s):  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Tooth Formation ◽  
Dental Maturation

scholarly journals Head and body orientation of the White Stork Ciconia ciconia during incubation: effect of wind, apex predators and power lines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Zbyryt ◽  
Łukasz Jankowiak ◽  
Leszek Jerzak ◽  
Piotr Tryjanowski
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Body Position ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Power Lines ◽  
White Stork ◽  
Head Orientation ◽  
Ciconia Ciconia ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Incubation Behaviour

AbstractIncubation behaviour is essential for understanding the reproductive success in birds. For example, the orientation of the bird is important for reducing incubation costs associated with wind or sun, but on the other hand can be modified by the perceived risk of predation. We studied the body position of incubating White Stork Ciconia ciconia in eastern Poland using a small unmanned aerial vehicle (drone). The head and body orientation of the incubating storks was non-random and modified by natural factors, mainly wind direction and speed, but also by the presence of an apex predator, the White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla. However, head orientation during incubation in nests located on electricity poles was also modified by the presence of the power lines, probably due to disturbance in the magnetic field detected by birds. Surprisingly, although the positioning of incubating birds (mainly females) is very important for the detection of predators and for reducing energy costs, these have not previously been studied. New technologies, such as drones, make it possible to collect new, extensive information on the incubation behaviour of birds.

Transformation by Fire: Changes in Funerary Customs from the Early Agricultural to Early Preclassic Period among Prehispanic Populations of Southern Arizona

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-151
Author(s):  
Jessica I. Cerezo-Román ◽  
James T. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Collective Identity ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Body Position ◽  
The Body ◽  
Collective Memories ◽  
Mortuary Ritual ◽  
Preclassic Period ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Early Agricultural Period ◽  
Funerary Customs

We examine the changes in funerary rituals from the Early Agricultural period (2100 BC–AD 50) to the Early Preclassic period (AD 475–750) and how these changes concurrently reflect changes in social relationships between the dead, their families, and the community. The predominant mortuary ritual in the Early Agricultural period was inhumation, possibly emphasizing a variety of identity intersections of the dead and the mourners in the treatment of the body while creating collective memories and remembrances through shared ways of commemorating the dead. An innovation in funerary practices in the form of secondary cremation appeared in the Early Agricultural period and was slowly but broadly adopted, representing new social dynamics within the society. Thereafter, secondary cremation became the main funeral custom. During the Early Preclassic period, the variation in body position and the type and quantity of objects found with individuals decreased. It is possible that the vehicle for displaying different identity intersections changed and was not placed in the body, per se, as much as in previous periods. However, the transformation characteristics of these funeral rituals and the increase in community investment could have fostered the building or reinforcing of stronger social ties that highlighted a “collective identity.”

scholarly journals Contributions of Body-Orientation to Mental Ball Dropping Task During Out-of-Body Experiences

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ege Tekgün ◽  
Burak Erdeniz
Keyword(s):  
Body Position ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
First Person ◽  
Body Ownership ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
Body Experiences ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Third Person Perspective ◽  
Full Body ◽  
Virtual Avatar

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) provide fascinating insights into our understanding of bodily self-consciousness and the workings of the brain. Studies that examined individuals with brain lesions reported that OBEs are generally characterized by participants experiencing themselves outside their physical body (i.e., disembodied feeling) (Blanke and Arzy, 2005). Based on such a characterization, it has been shown that it is possible to create virtual OBEs in immersive virtual environments (Ehrsson, 2007; Ionta et al., 2011b; Bourdin et al., 2017). However, the extent to which body-orientation influences virtual OBEs is not well-understood. Thus, in the present study, 30 participants (within group design) experienced a full-body ownership illusion (synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation only) induced with a gender-matched full-body virtual avatar seen from the first-person perspective (1PP). At the beginning of the experiment, participants performed a mental ball dropping (MBD) task, seen from the location of their virtual avatar, to provide a baseline measurement. After this, a full-body ownership illusion (embodiment phase) was induced in all participants. This was followed by the virtual OBE illusion phase of the experiment (disembodiment phase) in which the first-person viewpoint was switched to a third-person perspective (3PP), and participants' disembodied viewpoint was gradually raised to 14 m above the virtual avatar, from which altitude they repeated the MBD task. During the experiment, this procedure was conducted twice, and the participants were allocated first to the supine or the standing body position at random. Results of the MBD task showed that the participants experienced increased MBD durations during the supine condition compared to the standing condition. Furthermore, although the findings from the subjective reports confirmed the previous findings of virtual OBEs, no significant difference between the two postures was found for body ownership. Taken together, the findings of the current study make further contributions to our understanding of both the vestibular system and time perception during OBEs.

Body Orientation and the Perception of Spatial Auditory and Tactile Cues

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (17) ◽  
pp. 1663-1667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter I. Terrence ◽  
J. Christopher Brill ◽  
Richard D. Gilson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Body Position ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Auditory Cues ◽  
Tactile Cues ◽  
Equidistant Points

This study investigated the effects of five body orientations (supine, kneeling, sitting, standing, and prone) on perception of spatial auditory and spatial tactile cues along eight equidistant points (45° separation) of the azimuth, using a within-participant design. Participants (N = 30) used a graphics tablet and stylus to indicate the perceived direction indicated by either vibrotactile stimuli applied to the abdomen, or spatial auditory stimuli presented via headphones. Response time data show responses to spatial tactile cues were significantly faster than spatial auditory cues at each body position and for each point along the azimuth, with no significant effects of body orientation. Absolute angle differences between presented and perceived cues were significantly smaller in the tactile condition for five of the eight stimulus positions, with no significant effects of body orientation. Results are discussed in terms of designing multi-sensory directional cues for reducing visual search space for dismounted soldiers

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document