Differences in the funerary practice of cremation can be detected by excavation of burial urns in 2 centimeter spits and measuring the weight and proportion of cremated remains by anatomical regions according to stratigraphic deposition.  Close attention to stratigraphy, heat treatment, and duplications of the same bone, inform us about whether the same pyre was used for many individuals from which the second burial was collected or whether multiple individuals were placed in the urn intentionally.

View a video to see an example of micro-excavation with a reflectorless total station (and note that music accompanies the video):