Abstract:

The study used the burnt bone materials from the Jin and Yuan Dynasties at the Balizhuang site in Changle, Shandong, and discovered two individuals, M49:2 and M76:3, to analyze the effects of cremation on human remains from both macro and micro observation levels. Methods such as ultra-depth-of-field microscopy observation, analysis of fracture morphology, naked eye observation records, and scanning electron microscopy research are used. Generally, the impact of cremation on human bone remains is reflected at the macro level in changes in bone color, the occurrence of fire bone cracks, heating-induced bone warping, and at the microscopic level in changes in bone crystals and Haversian canals. The results showed that the colors of the two burnt bone individuals were milky white and gray-blue as a whole, and clusters or single bone crystals of different shapes appeared in the bone tissue. It was inferred that M49:2 and M76:3 correspond to cremation temperatures of 800~900°C and 500~600°C respectively. The cremation process will change the chemical properties of bones. Burnt bones are usually more fragile than the unburnt. Burnt bone fractures are prone to occur during the cremation process, so various types of burnt bone fractures appear. In individual M49:2, the right humerus has a bending and curling phenomenon. The phenomenon of curling of burnt bones mainly occurs when the fleshy bones, that is, wet bones, are cremated. This is because the muscles and ligaments contract during the cremation process, thus pulling the bones. The curling of the burnt bones will appear, which reflects that the M49:2 individual should have retained a large amount of muscle and soft tissue when it was cremated. Finally, combined with the tomb background information of the site and the historical records of cremation phenomena in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, possible speculations on the nature of the cremation experienced by the two individuals from many aspects are made, including whether the burnt bones were caused by the fire before death, whether the cremation is affected by the personal wishes of the deceased, and whether the two cases of burnt bones may correspond to certain customs recorded in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. At the same time, the impact of the burial environment on bones should not be ignored. Researchers also need to pay attention to the skeletal differences between individuals. The impact of cremation on the human skeletal remains of various individuals is still different. In summary, the research value can be better demonstrated by closely integrating the cremated remains with the archaeological background.

Key words: Shandong, Balizhuang Ruins, Cremation, Burnt Bones, Human skeletal remains