The Fire and the Bones: A Study of Cremated Human Remains of Chakpa an Ethnic group from Andro, Manipur

Abstract (English)

Cremation has long served as a significant method of disposing of the dead across diverse cultural contexts. This paper analyzes accidental findings of post-crematory human remains from the site of Andro, situated in the Imphal district of Manipur. The study focuses on understanding the nature of cremation deposits, pyre technology, and associated funerary practices. Despite the highly fragmentary condition of the remains, which precluded age, sex, and pathological assessments, valuable insights were gained into the type and quantity of preserved skeletal elements. Furthermore, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was employed to estimate the pyre temperatures, contributing to the reconstruction of cremation conditions and techniques. This research offers an important contribution to the broader understanding of mortuary behaviour and pyrotechnology in early cremation contexts of Chakpa, an ethnic group from Andro, India.