Cremated human remains from Palaepaphos-Skales: A case study from the iron age of Cyprus

This paper explores the practice of cremation in Early Iron Age Cyprus by examining cremated human remains from the Palaepaphos-Skales necropolis. Cremation was rare in Cyprus, first appearing at the onset of the Iron Age. Most cremation burials are isolated occurrences within cemeteries where inhumation predominated. Moreover, few cremated human remains in Cyprus have been thoroughly examined from a bioarchaeological perspective. Even in cases where bioarchaeological studies have been conducted, little attention has been given to the taphonomic processes related to fire or thermal exposure and their potential to shed light on the cremation process itself. Palaepaphos-Skales is a large necropolis containing hundreds of tombs dating to the first half of the Iron Age (Cypro-Geometric period), within which at least eleven urn cremation burials have been discovered, offering the possibility for a site-specific investigation of the use of cremation as a funerary practice. Bioarchaeological analysis of seven urn cremation burials was carried out to assess the demographic, biological, and taphonomic characteristics of the cremated individuals. The results show that the individuals were exposed to similar thermal conditions and suggest that the cremations likely occurred while the bodies were still fleshed, soon after death. The practice appears to have been reserved exclusively for adults or mature individuals. While the cremations from Skales share similarities with those in the wider eastern Mediterranean region, the evidence suggests that, despite its rarity in Cyprus, cremation remained deeply rooted in local funerary traditions. Cremated individuals were treated as integral members of the community, just like those who were inhumed.