Body Exposure and Embalming in the Tibetan Empire and Beyond: A Study of the btol Rite

The paper puts forward a new interpretation of the problematic word btol that is sparsely attested in Old Tibetan sources. The philological analysis is supported by a lexicological survey of potential cognates; taken together these allow us to sketch the word family of btol, and thus to better understand the underlying semantics of the word. It is argued that the term denoted a rite within a funeral ceremony; to be specific, the rite of exposure of the deceased’s body before it was interred. In order to contextualise the rite and to assess its cultural significance, this paper also discusses certain funeral customs of later periods.

Probable Nipa Palm Wine-Associated Hepatitis A Outbreak after Attending a Funeral Ceremony in Sabah

Foodborne outbreaks of hepatitis A virus (HAV) are most commonly associated with fresh and frozen produce and with various types of shellfish. Alcoholic beverage-borne outbreaks of hepatitis A are extremely rare. Here, we report an outbreak of hepatitis A associated with the consumption of a traditional wine at a funeral ceremony in the Sabah state of Malaysian Borneo. Confirmed cases were determined by serum anti-HAV immunoglobulin M and/or for fecal HAV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The amplicons of RT-PCR were subjected to nucleotide sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis. We conducted a 1:2 case–control study to identify the possible exposure that led to the outbreak. Sixteen patients met the case definition, they were 18 to 58 years old and 90% of them were males. The case–control study showed that the consumption of nipa palm wine during the ceremony was significantly associated (P = 0.0017) with hepatitis A infection (odds ratio, 5.44; 95% CI, 1.80–16.43). Untreated river water was used to dilute the traditional wine, which was assumed to be the source of the infection. Phylogenetically, these viruses belonged to genotype IA and formed an independent cluster with strains from Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. This strain might be an emerging HAV in Asian countries. Environmental assessments were performed and environmental samples were negative for HAV. The incidence of hepatitis A in Sabah was also determined and it was 0.795/100,000 population. Strict monitoring of traditional wine production should be implemented by the local authority to prevent future outbreaks.

TRADISI SOSIAL METANDA MALI’ DAN METUA’ PADA UPACARA KEMATIAN RAMBU SOLO’ DI TANA TORAJA

The purpose of this study is to identify, describe and analyze the customary system of death of the Toraja Metanda Mali 'and Metua' tribes which strengthens brotherhood. This study uses qualitative research, using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques with interactive models Miles and Huberman, Sugiyono 2015. Results of the study shows that in the process of the social tradition of Metanda Mali' and Metua' at the funeral ceremony of Rambu Solo' in the Toraja community, especially in Lembang Lemo Menduruk, it is always considered a burden to the community because the care given is interpreted by the community as a form of debt that must be paid. Metanda Mali' is a form of care given by people who have no family relationship with the grieving person, Metua is a form of concern given by people who have family relations with the grieving person, in the Toraja language it is called “Rara Buku”. only focused on Metanda Mali' and Metua' as a burden without the community realizing that the tradition of Metanda Mali'and Metua' can strengthen brotherly relations.

Funerals and the politics of emotion

This chapter presents a detailed ethnography of the funeral rituals of the Roma of Ceuaş. It describes how a funeral ceremony unfolds and how musicians participate in it. The ethnographic description points to the instable and open-ended distinction between the “relatives” (neamuri) of the deceased and the “outsiders” (străini). These two groups interact on an essentially emotional level: the former are under pressure to express their grief to the latter, who are themselves on the lookout for these expressions of feeling. The chapter highlights the key differences between the tears of the neamuri, who cry “with full throat,” and those of the străini, who “cry inside.” The final part of the chapter presents an interpretation of the Roma funerals. Ritual actions, including wailing and playing music, seek to nudge the relationships between the living and the dead, and the neamuri and the străini, toward the positive emotional poles of piety and pity (milă) and away from the negative poles of fear and shame (laja).

About One Detail of the Funeral Rite of Ancient Qabala

This article is devoted to the consideration and interpretation of a peculiar detail of the funeral rite observed at the cemeteries of ancient period in the historical region of Qabala - the capital of Caucasian Albania. Attention is focused on ceramic vessels with intentionally made holes, which were revealed in the burials among the grave goods. The vessels with holes were found in the ground burials of Uzuntala and Gushlar cemeteries of the 1st century BCE – 1st century CE, along with skeletons in a contracted position on their sides; as well as in the catacomb burial of Salbir, dating to the I-III centuries CE. In burials nos. 3–7 of Uzuntala, vessels of this type had holes in the center of their bases, and were placed upside down in the grave. In the catacomb burial of Salbir, 1st – 3rd centuries CE, two vases of the same type had large holes on the side of the body. The specific detail of the funeral rite, which is of a particular nature, has been episodically traced in the territory of Azerbaijan since the Bronze Age and continued to exist until the Late Antique period. It allows us to talk of the existence of a ritual that was carried out during the funeral ceremony and reflected some religious ideas associated with the funeral ideology. The authors of the paper suppose that these vessels should, according to prevailing beliefs, symbolize the “exodus of the soul” of the deceased and have no connection with the custom of damage to the inventory.

Gold in a Woman’s Burial Costume of the Late Ancient Bosporan Elite: New Materials from Phanagoreia

This paper publishes a unique woman’s costume with gold ornaments from the Hunnic Period. This find originates from a burial vault in Phanagoreia dated back to the late fourth or early fifth century AD. There are numerous gold foil badges uncovered in situ on a woman’s neck and chest. They were sewn on the collar of a robe and an outer garment. Gold ornaments appeared only on the front side of the cloths to be seen by the funeral ceremony participants. The find of the ornaments in Phanagoreia contributes to the suggestion that there was a universal set of gold ornaments for cloth in the Hunnic Period. It has been inferred that the costume decorated with fine gold ornaments played ceremonial role. It was made especially for funerals of noble and rich women belonging to the Bosporan elite. However, the culture of the barbarians living in the vicinity of the Bosporan Kingdom in the Migration Period possibly developed alternative perception of the costume in question

Pinchuga-6 Burial Ground — a New Site of the Finale of the Iron Age in the Lower Angara Region

The article presents the preliminary results of studying of the Pinchuga-6 burial ground in the Lower Angara region. This site is the first large necropolis of the late Iron Age to be explored in the region. 16 cremated burials on the side were recorded at the necropolis. Eventually 30 individuals of different ages were identified. The research revealed single children’s and adults’ burials, collective and paired complexes. In the collective complexes the remains of three or five people are buried. Based on the results the main features of the funeral ceremony were identified. Among the finds from the burial ground and the inter-burial ground space are weapons, tools, ceramic vessels, objects of Western Siberian cult casting and adornments. According to the analogy, the burial ground dates back to the second quarter of the 1st millennium AD. In addition materials of the Tashtyk and Late Kulai guises have been collected at the site along with local elements of the Lower Angara region. Keywords: Lower Angara region, finale of the Iron Age, burial ground, burial ceremony, funeral equipment, ceramics, dating, cultural connection

Zwierzęce szczątki kostne

Animal bone remains retrieved from six cremation graves and from layers in the immediate vicinity of damaged graves were subjected to archaeozoological analysis. There were 32 animal bone fragments in total, of which 23 could be identified with high probability in terms of species and anatomy. The remaining bones represent two types. The first, more common type is comprised of bone fragments showing no traces of processing, possibly consumption waste. The second type is that of fragments of damaged artefacts made from osseous material, bearing discernible traces of processing. Among the analysed materials, five fragments revealed traces of processing – two were fragments of combs, another two most likely belonged to one damaged gaming piece (dice), and the last was a small fragment of a polished plate. All these objects were made of deer antler. The remaining, unworked fragments identified in terms of species, which were consumption waste, belonged exclusively to domesticated mammals and birds: sheep, goat, pig, cattle, horse, and hen. They were found in six out of approximately 65 graves recorded in the explored part of the necropolis, which means in 9.2% of the graves. Animal bone remains are interpreted in many ways, could have been the traces of feasts held during the funeral ceremony. The remains could have provided food for the dead on their way to the afterlife or could have been related to some acts of sacrifice.