Eneolithic Cattle Burials from Aljmaš‐Podunavlje and Osijek‐Retfala, Croatia

Abstract

Two single bovine burials and one mixed animal burial (containing bovine and canid skeletal remains) have been unearthed at two Baden culture sites, Aljmaš‐Podunavlje and Osijek‐Retfala located in Eastern Croatia. Zooarchaeological analysis attributed the faunal remains to domesticated cattle (Bos taurus) and in one case a dog (Canis familiaris). Almost complete and articulated skeletons of subadult or adult cows were found in all three examined features, while pit 59/60 from Aljmaš also contained a skull belonging to an adult‐domesticated cattle and a skeleton of a very young dog, 2–3 months old. All of the skeletons are well preserved and display no evidence of carcass processing indicating that the animals were buried intentionally. Consideration of the positions in which these animals were interred and their relationship with nearby deposits enables discussion of potential animal burial strategies and possible connections with certain ritual practices in which cows and in one case a dog played important roles. The described burials represent the southernmost known distribution of the rite discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Animal burials in Eneolithic settlements of continental Croatia (Ukopi životinja u eneolitičkim naseljima kontinentalne Hrvatske)

“…In all three cases, the domesticated bovids were female and were about two years of age (Pasarić & Trbojević-Vukičević 2016). Their osteological remains did not reveal pathological changes that Tri krave, dva psa i svinja Pojedini ukopi poput ovog iz Đakova pružaju nam više podataka o okolnostima nalaza te važne informacije o životinjama samima, ali i o ljudskim postupcima tijekom života životinja ili nakon njihove smrti.…”

“…The northern side of the pit had a sort of a niche that yielded the remains of a bovid head with horns, placed vertically, leaning on the upper jaw. The same pit also contained a complete skeleton of a small carnivore, most likely a dog, up to two months old (Pasarić & Trbojević-Vukičević 2016). The animal's hind legs were bent and crossed one over the other, while the front legs were pulled towards the chest; a pebble, somewhat bigger than the animal's head, was placed under the lower jaw (Šimić 2001).…”

“…Unutar jame, na njenoj sjevernoj strani, nalazila se i svojevrsna niša u kojoj je pronađena glava goveda s rogovima, položena okomito, oslanjala se na gornju čeljust. U istoj jami pronađen je i cjelovit kostur malog mesojeda, najvjerojatnije psa, starog do dva mjeseca (Pasarić & Trbojević-Vukičević 2016). Stražnje noge životinje bile su savinute i postavljene jedna preko druge, dok su prednje noge bile privučene na prsa; ispod donje čeljusti bio je položen oblutak nešto veći od glave životinje (Šimić 2001).…”

“…Glava goveda bila je također okrenuta prema tijelu. U sva tri slučaja riječ je o jedinkama domaćeg goveda ženskoga spola koje su doživjele otprilike dvije godine starosti (Pasarić & Trbojević-Vukičević 2016). Na njihovim osteološkim ostacima nisu uočene patološke promjene koje bi se mogle pove-zati s traumama ili bolestima te možemo zaključiti da su životinje za svoga života bile zdrave, a vrlo vjerojatno i dobro zbrinute.…”

“…Ističe se položaj životinje iz Aljmaša, jama SJ 15/16 gdje su njeni ekstremiteti bili pažljivo sakupljeni zajedno i podvučeni pod tijelo što ukazuje na namjerno izazvan položaj. Sakupljeni ekstremiteti mogu upućivati i na rezanje ligamenata nakon smrti kako bi životinja stala u jamu, međutim lezije uzrokovane rezanjem ligamenata nakon što je nastupio rigor mortis (vidi: Cencetti et al 2006) na koštanom materijalu nedostaju (Pasarić & Trbojević-Vukičević 2016. ), što sugerira da su ekstremiteti životinje mogli biti zavezani zajedno prije smrti kako je to već pretpostavila i Šimić (2007).…”