Recently, the skeleton of a 13 year old girl was found in Italy, and is believed to be from the early Middle Ages or late antiquity. The skeleton was found buried face-down – a position that is popularly associated with those rejected by society, and the media have dubbed her the “Witch Girl”.
The skeleton of the “Witch Girl” found in Northern Italy
While burials often contain a lot symbolism and speak for the culture of the society, atypical burials allow archaeologists to glean insight into the society’s beliefs. Because of the shocking nature and uncommon occurrences of face-down burials, they provide a powerful contrast to the more common face-up burial.
Face-down, or prone burials are commonly associated with Europe and are constantly linked to those who were feared, despised, or not respected by the society around them. They are popularly connected to witches and others who were feared from beyond the grave as prone burials were one method from hindering the dead’s spirits from rising.
While our reading warns that there are very few symbols that exist that have meaning cross-culturally, it would seem as if prone burials are one of the exceptions (although of course this is not a rule). Over 600 of these burials have been documented cross-culturally and they consistently seem to bear a negative connotation for the buried individual.
However, the context of the negative connotation is extremely important and this differs through cultures and individual burials. Without context, the numbers can be misleading. For instance, prone burials occur most frequently in the Viking Age in Sweden, but only around 13% of each gravesite is composed of face-down burials. On the other hand, in Mexico in 1000 BC the proportions are much higher with around 90% of individuals per grave site buried face-down. Without cultural and symbolic context it is impossible to get the full picture. Although a lot is still unknown, it is believed that the frequency of prone burials increased as some Vikings turned from Paganism to Christianity, and these burials may show disdain for those who switched religions. In a grave site in Mexico, 74 skeletons were found face-down while six were sitting upright. Archaeologists believe this demonstrates a difference in social status rather than as a sign of disrespect.
Prone burials occur cross-culturally
How does this relate to the “Witch Girl” and the society she lived in? Without enough background evidence, we should not jump so quickly to the conclusion that she was considered a witch. Additional evidence from the site causes questions and concerns. For instance, while most prone burials occur on the edges of gravesites, she was buried in a privileged section. Also, skeletal analysis suggests that she may have died from severe anemia. Whether she was truly considered a witch, and whether it was something her society had reject, remains unknown.
Understanding the symbolism behind the act can enlighten us as to the nature of the society that buried them this way, and why they did so. However the significance of these symbols are tied to the context in which they are found.
References (and further reading)
- http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/skeleton-of-possible-witch-girl-found-141006.htm
- Handler, J. S. (1996). A prone burial from a plantation slave cemetery in Barbados, West Indies: possible evidence for an African-type witch or other negatively viewed person. (30)3 76-86. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25616477?seq=1
- http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/buried-face-down-prone-burials.htm
- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090623-facedown-burials.html
Photos
- http://www.archaeology.co.uk/images/stories/ca/231/Fig-3%5B1%5D.Vannhog.jpg
- http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/prone-burial-141006.jpg
You note in your post how similar forms may appear across cultures, but the specific meaning they carry often does not. Although tempting, we cannot make broad comparisons and come to generalized conclusions when it comes to analyzing artifacts. Rather, even within a culture, the meaning of a form can often only be derived by looking at its specific context. I am most curious, however, about the media’s portrayal of this burial and how this impacts the manner in which people interpret such forms. Archaeologists noted that the skeleton’s positioning might indicate her rejection from society and the Italian media subsequently coined the term “witch girl.” Here, differences in languages give rise to two different interpretations: the archeologists’ more open conclusion and media’s sensationalized judgement. What do these differences reveal about public understandings of archaeology? How can the media better represent archaeological research?