San Miguel Albarradas: cultural interpretations of a funerary site

Abstract

The tomb of St. Michael Albarradas, Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca, is a funerary space with unique archaeological level, but above all in the distribution and deposition of human skeletal remains. This context provided an ossuary of 75 individuals without any anatomical connection and an offering varied. The aim of this paper is an interdisciplinary work between anthropological osteology and archaeology in order to generate an interpretation that meets this mortuary peculiar event. The results show that the skeletal remains were removed from their first deposit and then intentionally deposited in the grave. Because the materials found and their order, this tomb could answer a unique mortuary practice in the area.