Clarification of the Concepts of “Burial Rites” and “Funeral and Memorial Ritualism” in the Archaeological Context

Research Article

Abstract

This article is devoted to the theoretical understanding of the concepts of “burial rites” and “funeral and memorial ritualism” in archaeological interpretation. Based on an analysis of the works of domestic and foreign researchers, the main approaches to defining the content, structure, and interrelationship of these concepts are considered, and the terminology related to ritual practices recorded in archaeological materials is clarified. Particular attention is paid to the distinction between different levels and aspects of ritual activity, allowing for a more comprehensive reconstruction of the spiritual and material cultures of ancient societies. Burial complexes and the accompanying ritual practices are important sources of information about the social organisation, ideological attitudes, and symbolic models of the world of ancient communities. Analysis of archaeological data reveals insights into ideas about death and the afterlife, as well as demonstrating the complex interrelationships between ritual practice and the society's worldview. The study employed analytical-comparative and historiographical methods, which made it possible to systematise and compare the existing scientific approaches to the interpretation of funeral and memorial rites. This comprehensive approach enabled the tracing of the evolution of ideas about the structure and content of funeral and memorial rites, as well as the identification of their role in archaeological interpretation. The work aims to clarify the conceptual apparatus and the relationship between “burial rites” and “funeral and memorial ritualism”, as well as to identify their significance for the reconstruction of the ideological and worldview attitudes of ancient societies. The methodological basis of the study provided a systematic approach to analysing concepts and theoretical models, which allows archaeological, ethnographic, and semantic data to be combined into a single interpretative framework. Particular attention is paid to the practical significance of the work: the results of the research can be used to analyse archaeological materials and prepare educational programmes and methodological guides on archaeology and ethnology. In addition, the work emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that combines data from various humanities disciplines to achieve a deeper understanding of cultural processes and the transformation of ritual practices in ancient societies. The results of this work open up opportunities for integrating archaeological data with ethnographic and historical-cultural sources, thereby increasing the accuracy of interpreting ritual practices in ancient societies. Thus, the work demonstrates a transition from descriptive approaches to complex models of research into ritual and ceremonial practices and emphasises the relevance of clarifying key concepts in modern archaeology