Apologies if this goes against the sub rules, I did check and it seems to be fine, albeit slightly unusual.

Anyway, I have an archaeology/ancient history assignment where I have to compare whether mortuary practices were decided based on the living or ideas about death, but I am struggling to pinpoint the difference between mortuary practices and burial practices. Definitions indicate they are largely the same, although mortuary practices do not include cultural practices.

Can anyone provide an explanation for me?

EDIT:

So just for clarification, I am studying the practices of the Western Roman Empire, Medieval England, and I'm dabbling in either the Ancient Near East or Neolithic Paris (I haven't decided yet, but basically I would like one prehistoric option). I'm not seeking advice on this area, just on the definition of mortuary practices and how they differ from burial practices. For anyone curious I am currently writing about the differences in the choice of burial location, as the Western Roman Empire after the 1st century AD largely practiced inhumation outside of the city limits until Christianity became dominant in the 4th century (Twelve Tables), whereas Medieval England had urban cemeteries but also mass shared graves due to the plague. But again, this isn't the area I am seeking help.

From my point of view, the terms mortuary and burial practices appear to be largely the same, my only idea is that mortuary refers specifically to the way the body was treated (cremation, inhumation etc.), rather than the cultural rites and ideas that surround burial practices. I have checked my Webster's dictionary, several online dictionary's of varying quality (Free Dictionary, Dictionary, and the like), but I have been unable to find a concrete definition.