The almost total absence of human remains has frequently been remarked,
and the theory is advanced that cremation must have been practiced. We
have no evidence, however, of such a custom among the historic tribes of
this region, and, besides, such elaborate tombs would hardly be
constructed for the deposition of ashes. Yet, considering the depth of
the graves, their remarkable construction, and the character of the soil
selected for burial purposes, it is certainly wonderful that such meager
traces of human remains are found. Pinart surmises, from the analogies
of modern burial customs upon the north coast, that the bones only were
deposited in the graves, the flesh having been allowed to decay by a
long period of exposure in the open air. This, however, would probably
not materially hasten the decay of the bones.
Mr. Merritt states that human hair was obtained from graves at Bugaba,
and that he has himself secured the enamel of a molar tooth from that
locality. De Zeltner tells us that in three varieties of graves remains
of skeletons are found, always, however, in a very fragile condition.
One skull was obtained of sufficient stability to be cast in plaster,
but De Zeltner is not certain that it belonged to the people who built
the tombs.
Mr. McNiel reports the occasional finding of bones, and a number of
bundles of them are included in his collection. He reports that there
are no crania and that nothing could be determined as to the position of
the bodies when first buried.
Pinart observes that in some cases the bodies or remnants of bodies were
distributed about the margin of the pit bottom, with the various
utensils in the center, and again that the remains were laid away in
niches dug in the sides of the main pit.
These scattering observations will serve to give a general idea of the
modes of sepulture practiced in this region, but there must be a closer
record of localities and a careful correlation of the varying phenomena
of inhumation before either ethnology or archaeology can be greatly
benefited.