Mortuary cave explained

A mortuary cave or a mortuary sinkhole, alternately burial cave, burial sinkhole, or crevice interment, is a naturally formed cavity in the earth that is intentionally used by humans as a cache for dead bodies. There are a number of known Paleoindian mortuary sinkholes in Texas,[1] including Bering Sinkhole,[2] a number of mortuary caves have been identified in Virginia,[3] and at least one burial sinkhole was used by Native Hawaiians at what is now Kalaeloa Heritage Park.[4] The bodies of 30 Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek during the American Civil War were initially deposited in a natural sinkhole; the bodies were later excavated and relocated to Springfield National Cemetery.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Alvarez . Christine E. . May 2005 . Bioarchaeological Investigation of Human Skeletal Remains at the Stiver Ranch Burial Sinkhole (41KM140) . en.
  2. Book: Bement, Leland C. . Hunter-Gatherer Mortuary Practices during the Central Texas Archaic . 1994 . University of Texas Press . 978-0-292-70817-4 . 10.7560/708174.
  3. Web site: Burial Caves in Virginia . 2023-08-02 . www.virginiaplaces.org.
  4. Web site: September 2014 . Kalaeloa Heritage Park ʻEwa, Oʻahu FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT . hawaii.gov.
  5. Web site: Sinkhole on Bloody Hill (U.S. National Park Service) . 2023-08-02 . www.nps.gov . en.