Integrating Anthropological Science in Archaeological Practice: The Importance of Spatial Data

Abstract

The excavation of human remains is a critical aspect of archaeology, and mortuary context forms a considerable portion of the archaeological record investigated by archaeologists. However, the scientific analysis of human remains is frequently limited to post-excavation, meaning that archaeological data is rarely integrated into the interpretation of human remains.

This paper examines the contribution of anthropological science during excavation using one specific class of data – spatial position – in order to understand how information on location affects the interpretation of human remains in archaeological contexts. Examining the utility of spatial information of human remains excavated from a mass grave at the site of Başur Höyük, near Siirt, Türkiye, we propose that spatial or location data collected at the level of the individual element is necessary to reconstruct the circumstances and actions in respect of the creation and formation of the studied mass grave.