Archaeoentomology is the study of insects and other arthropods recovered from an archaeological site; they can be found in association with ancient human and animal remains, food, artefacts or they can be related to the environment and its changes throughout the time. Within archaeoentomology, the branch of “funerary archeoentomology” considers insects and other arthropods especially in association with human remains in funerary and burial contexts. The presence and the location of certain insect species closely associated with or nearby the remains, can be valuable in gathering information about the ecological situation at the time of burial and the changes that occurred in the environment up until the discovery of the body. Funerary archaeoentomology investigations have been carried out globally, primarily in countries like Italy, Peru, the United Kingdom and France. Similarly to forensic entomology contexts, the abundance and diversity of insects are affected by the type of burial, the macro and micro-environment of and surrounding the burial, the items associated with the cadaver, the post-mortem practices, and the time that has elapsed from the body deposition to the discovery and the excavation. While funerary archaeoentomology and forensic entomology remain two well-distinguished disciplines, the sampling practice, the insect identification process, and the analyses of the burial ecology in funerary archaeoentomology studies follow the best practices and the general guidelines of forensic entomology. In both disciplines, the correct identification of the insects is key to providing correct information. Various methods have proven effective for insect identification, i.e., morphological, molecular and chemical analysis. This review aims to collect the current knowledge in funerary archaeoentomology, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of insect identification methods in an archaeological context, and describe the groups of the most relevant insects and other arthropods found in association with ancient human remains worldwide. Furthermore, recommendations will be provided to advance the practices of archaeoentomology examinations.

Bone taphonomy and diagenesis contribute to anthropological analysis in forensic investigations by attempting to reconstruct the relationship between human cadaveric remains and their postmortem depositional environment. The rare aquatic taphonomic experiments have been delivering conflicting results on the influence of time and the environment on the decay of bone and teeth, especially considering that the main diagenetic processes can lead to fragmentation, progressive dissolution or fossilization. The aim of this experimental, quantitative, randomized and controlled 2-year study was to analyse the taphonomy and diagenesis of submerged terrestrial mammalian bones to achieve a more accurate estimation of both the post-mortem interval (PMI) and the post-mortem submersion interval (PMSI) in the short term. Three parameters of bone diagenesis, the Oxford Histological Index (OHI), the total porosity and the collagen content of cortical bone were analysed by MicroCT Scan, bright-field Light Microscopy (Picrosirius Red stain), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on 75 sheep femurs and tibias placed in four distinct types of environment (natural saltwater, natural freshwater, an artificial seawater solution and exposed to the air) vs. non-exposed controls. LA-ICP-MS was soon discontinued because no measurable changes of the elemental profiles could be detected. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to the collected data. The macroscopical preservation was consistently excellent (OHI=5). The total porosity and the degradation of collagen were greater underwater than in subaerial exposure, whereas demineralization zones and bioerosion tunnelling appeared after 12 months in the air-exposed samples only. Underwater, the continuous movement, the correlated abrasion by sand and sediment and the constant alkaline pH (≥ 8) can explain the progressive removal of the mineral component and the subsequent exposure of collagen to bioeroders and chemical hydrolysis. On land, the same process occurs at a slower rate on account of the seasonality of the water flow, however, the action of the more abundant and diversified species of bioeroding microorganisms appears more efficient. Despite some limitations, this study indicates that three parameters of bone diagenesis can predict the depositional environment of terrestrial mammalian bone characterized by a PMI and/or PMSI of at least 12 months.