Ancient Greeks didn't burn whole animals in ritual sacrifices, study finds
Researchers examining Greek religious practices discovered that so-called "holocausts"—rituals thought to involve burning entire animal carcasses—likely involved partial burning instead. The finding, based on ancient texts, artifacts, and experimental cremations, reshapes our understanding of how ancient societies conducted religious ceremonies and what those practices reveal about their values and resource management.
Originaltitel: To burn it all?: The practice of holocausts and moirocausts in ancient Greek religion
<p>This paper offers a review of holocaustic rituals in written and material sources arguing that this type of sacrifice was rare. It further addresses if the animal was burned whole or if the carcass was flayed, emptied of blood and intestines, and sectioned before being placed onto the fire. Since the evidence suggests that holocausts did not necessarily mean the burning of an intact animal, the relation between holocausts and holocausts, sacrifices at which a larger part of the animal was burned, is also explored. Finally, the ancient evidence for holocausts is considered in the light of the results of the experimental cremation of a lamb and a pig performed at Uppsala in 2014. It is argued that a Greek holocaust may have aimed at burning the meat beyond human means of consumption rather than at a total annihilation of the carcass by fire, and that the long time it seems to have taken to perform a holocaust can be linked to the purpose of the ritual.</p>