Histological Analysis of Cremains from the Megalithic site of Obra, Jharkhand, India

Ishita Sadhukhan1*, Veena Mushrif Tripathy2, Prateek Chokroborty1, Rajendra Dehuri2, and Mohd Azhar Sabir2,3

Cremains or cremated human remains can produce numerous kinds of information about any individual or a society but it's often overlooked due to the lack of proper established methodology and poorly preserved material. Among this lack of proper techniques, one of the more scientific methodologies incorporated for the analysis of cremated human remains is histology. This research focuses on histological investigation of cremated human remains from the Megalithic site Obra, District Chatra, Jharkhand, India.  The site was excavated in 2020 by Archaeological Survey of India, Bihar circle, under the directorship of Dr. Dehuri. Locality IA was excavated, 21 menhirs were reported from this locality and 47 pots were collected among which 14 individuals were analysed from this assemblage. Unfortunately, due to the poor preservation conditions of the assemblage, only 5 individuals met the requirements for undertaking the histological study. Primary sources of data have been collected through lab work, secondary sources of data include archives, journals, and published reports. This paper will discuss the multiple facets of information that can be obtained from the histological analysis of cremated human skeletal remains.