“From the Grave They Shall not Rise!”: A Diachronic Review of Deviant Burials in Ancient Mesopotamia

Abstract

Irregular or deviant burials, i. e. cases of sepulture divergent from the usual burial rite, are well known from many cultures. Based on a review of numerous published burial sites, the existence of similar practices can now be documented for ancient Mesopotamia of the 3rd to 1st millennium BCE as well. Unusual features include absence or dislocation of skull or limb bones, partial burning, burial in prone position, and complete disarticulation. While a part of these may go back to disturbance or secondary reburial, perimortal violence, or ritual removal of bones, certain body manipulations such as skeletal mutilation, fettering, and covering with stones may be explained as arrangements against the return of the dead, comparable to similar practices against alleged revenants and vampires in other cultures.