The Repatriation And Use Of Disarticulated Human Remains At Homol’ovi I

Abstract

The use of disarticulated human remains in abandonment ritual at Homol’ovi has been studied by previous University of Arizona students. In a Master’s thesis submitted to the University of Arizona in 1996, Vincent LaMotta analyzed the use of disarticulated human remains at Homol’ovi through remains excavated from Homol’ovi II and III. However, very little excavation had been completed for Homol’ovi I at the time of LaMotta’s research. LaMotta determined that disarticulated human remains were used for abandonment rituals based on the location of the remains when excavating a site and the associated artifacts, like bird talons and canine crania, in proximity with the human remains. This thesis sought to compile documentation for repatriation and identify if disarticulated human remains from Homol’ovi I supported LaMotta’s conclusions. After completing a faunal sort to check for additional human remains, a human element analysis to identify any taphonomic processes, and a faunal analysis for associated artifacts, it was determined that while the use of disarticulated human remains in ritual structures at Homol’ovi I is likely for rituals, more complete research, to include other types of structures, to fully support LaMotta’s findings.