Burial practices within the Tradición Trincheras

Abstract

The investigation of the site Los Crematorios (The Crematoriums), associated with the prehispanic settlement Cerro de Trincheras (Trenches Hill), regional center of the Tradición Trincheras (Trenches Tradition) in Sonora, México, has significantly enriched the knowledge of burial practices of this pre-Hispanic group. This article analyzes the mortuary process: treatment of the corpse and funeral rites associated with the various practices used to dispose of the dead among the agricultural communities of the Sonoran Desert. We propose that there is a very complex relationship between the mourning ritual and its material expression reflected in the archaeological context, where at least, two funeral traditions were identified.