Insights into the Funerary Practices in the Dolmen of Cabecinha (Figueira da Foz, Portugal)

Abstract

The dolmen of Cabecinha in the region of Figueira da Foz (Coimbra, Portugal) was excavated at the end of the 19th century by António dos Santos Rocha. This tomb belongs to a Megalithic necropolis of c. 21 dolmens in Western-Central Portugal and was explored and published between 1880 and 1909. The aim of this contribution is to present the human bone collection of the Megalitho da Cabecinha, cross-referencing this data with the original available documentation from the excavation and the chronology obtained from direct radiocarbon dating of a human bone fragment. This approach is adopted to get insights into the funerary practices, and the biological and pathological profiles of the individuals deposited in the dolmen. The most relevant information obtained pertains to the mortuary behaviour, where a unique funerary practice for this Megalithic necropolis was identified. In each corner of the irregular polygonal chamber, an adult individual was deposited in crouching or squatting position in sandy sediment and surrounded by small flat limestone slabs. All but one individual was associated with votive items. IZVLE∞EK – Raziskovalec António dos Santos Rocha je konec 19. stoletja izkopal dólmen Cabecinha na obmo≠ju Figueira da Foz (Coimbra, Portugalska). Grobnica sodi v okvir megalitske nekropole, ki vklju≠uje ok. 21 dólmenov v zahodno osrednjem delu Portugalske in je bila raziskana ter objavljena med leti 1880 in 1909. V ≠lanku predstavljamo zbir ≠love∏kih kosti iz najdi∏≠a Megalitho da Cabecinha, primerjamo podatke z originalno dokumentacijo o izkopavanjih in kronologijo, ki smo jo vzpostavili z neposrednim radiokarbonskim datiranjem odlomka ≠love∏ke kosti. S tem pristopom smo ∫eleli pridobiti vpogled v pogrebne obi≠aje ter v biolo∏ke in patolo∏ke profile posameznikov, ki so bili pokopani v dólmen. Najpomembnej∏e informacije, ki smo jih pridobili, se nana∏ajo na pogrebne prakse, saj smo prepoznali edinstven obi≠aj, vezan na to megalitsko nekropolo. V vsakem kotu te nepravilne poligonalne komore je bil polo∫en en odrasel posameznik v ≠epe≠em polo∫aju, in sicer v pe∏≠en sediment in obkro∫en z majhnimi plo∏≠atimi apnen≠astimi plo∏≠ami. Vsi razen enega posameznika so imeli ob sebi votivne predmete.