Personal Taphonomy at Sacred Ridge: Burial 196

The fragmentary remains of a female aged 45 to 50 years were recovered from floor fill in the ventilator shaft of a Pueblo I pit house at Sacred Ridge (5LP245). Taphonomic evidence indicates facial destruction, scalping, decapitation, dismemberment, and perhaps hand or foot removal. Human hemoglobin and myoglobin residue on associated artifacts suggest that processing took place in this structure. This study addresses the significance of this feature in regard to the remains of 33 other processed individuals in another pit structure at Sacred Ridge, and the implications of these features for interpretations of Pueblo I pit structure burials.