Arqueologia i antropologia física. La població i el ritual funerari a Osona a través de les necròpolis medievals

Abstract

Using a map with the localization of the known medieval necropolis and tombs in the district of Osona, the authors attempt to analyze the obtaned data from a twofold point of view: archaeologic and anthropologic. The persistence of ancient pre-Christian cults is easily revealed in these necropoles: the burial place, with or without relation to a church, the orientation of the tombs with respect to the sun, the placement of the skeleton, the deposit of funerary materials and apparel, the libations, ... inform us about the funerary ritual, the mentality and religiosity of a society which was theoretically Christian, but also very influenced by ancient cults. In the same way, human bone remains offer data about questions of paleodemography, paleopathology, physical types, nutrition, infant mortality, etc.