Plant macroremains in funerary contexts: rituals, function and formation processes

Abstract

Plants have been, and still are, an inescapable part of many different funerary practices in different cultural, chronological and geographical contexts, with functional and symbolic significance. However, due to their fragility, archaeological plant remains are only preserved in particular conditions, requiring proper methods for their detection, recovery and study. In this paper, we present an overview of the informative potential of plant macroremains preserved through carbonization and mineralization in cremation and inhumation contexts and an assessment of the main challenges in their interpretation. Wood is the main fuel in cremations and while fire has an indisputable symbolic meaning, the ritualistic value of firewood is disputable and likely varied in different cultural contexts. Intentional fires are rarer in inhumations, but these were used to prepare burial areas since prehistoric times. The presence of carbonized plant remains in burials, however, demands careful evaluation of formation processes to attest their actual association with funerary practices. With fire, pyre goods and grave goods are also frequently preserved, including wooden objects, fruits, seeds and foodstuffs that provide much relevant information to characterize rituals. Some of these are sometimes preserved through mineralization, particularly, but not exclusively, in association with metal objects.