Mortuary Practices of the Southern Sinagua and Prescott Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Examinatio

The burials from the Oak Creek Valley Pueblo and the Dewey Archaeological sites are interpreted to facilitate understanding of the mortuary practices and burial rituals of the Southern Sinagua and Prescott Culture. Three questions direct the course of this research: (1) is there evidence of co-tradition between the Southern Sinagua and the Prescott Culture at the Oak Creek Valley Pueblo and the Dewey Archaeological Locale?; (2) how do social roles and stratification impact the manner of interment at the Oak Creek Valley Pueblo and the Dewey Archaeological Locale, with a focus on child burials?; and (3) do the variations in grave goods indicate agency in funerary? First, with regard to co-tradition among the Southern Sinagua and the Prescott Culture, evidence of shared cultural traits exists, but not in the mortuary practices. Second, there is variation in the burial methods of the deceased individuals based on age and gender, however a larger sample is needed in order to ascertain that this disparity is evidence of social stratification. Third, the variation in methods of burial at the loci does indicate agency on the parts of the survivors. The variability of the burials uncovered at these sites are studied for insights on social structure and the role of children, symbolism, environmental influences on ritual, the presence of co-tradition, patterns in burial ritual, the influences of ideology, and the use of space. The burials recovered from the archaeological localities provide a limited sample revealing unique characteristics pertaining to the respective cultures.