Isotopic investigations of human cremations from the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age cemetery of Ljubljana – Dvorišče SAZU, Slovenia

Jernejčič, Brina Škvor; Price, T. Douglas

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102594

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Adult females, by contrast, show a wide variation of strontium isotope composition, although only two (n. 241 and n. 243) seem non-local. N. 243 is characterised by a highly radiogenic value, which can be found in older geolithologies, such as in the proximity of the Balaton lake [114,115], in the Alpine valleys [49], or central Slovenia [129].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human mobility in a Bronze Age Vatya ‘urnfield’ and the life history of a high-status woman

et al. 2021

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In this study, we present osteological and strontium isotope data of 29 individuals (26 cremations and 3 inhumations) from Szigetszentmiklós-Ürgehegy, one of the largest Middle Bronze Age cemeteries in Hungary. The site is located in the northern part of the Csepel Island (a few kilometres south of Budapest) and was in use between c. 2150 and 1500 BC, a period that saw the rise, the apogee, and, ultimately, the collapse of the Vatya culture in the plains of Central Hungary. The main aim of our study was to identify variation in mobility patterns among individuals of different sex/age/social status and among individuals treated with different burial rites using strontium isotope analysis. Changes in funerary rituals in Hungary have traditionally been associated with the crises of the tell cultures and the introgression of newcomers from the area of the Tumulus Culture in Central Europe around 1500 BC. Our results show only slight discrepancies between inhumations and cremations, as well as differences between adult males and females. The case of the richly furnished grave n. 241 is of particular interest. The urn contains the cremated bones of an adult woman and two 7 to 8-month-old foetuses, as well as remarkably prestigious goods. Using 87Sr/86Sr analysis of different dental and skeletal remains, which form in different life stages, we were able to reconstruct the potential movements of this high-status woman over almost her entire lifetime, from birth to her final days. Our study confirms the informative potential of strontium isotopes analyses performed on different cremated tissues. From a more general, historical perspective, our results reinforce the idea that exogamic practices were common in Bronze Age Central Europe and that kinship ties among high-rank individuals were probably functional in establishing or strengthening interconnections, alliances, and economic partnerships.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human mobility in a Bronze Age Vatya ‘urnfield’ and the life history of a high-status woman

et al. 2021

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“…The Aylesford group, with its clear continental affinities has, on occasion, been ascribed to continental migrants (Lamb 2018c, 339). There are clear parallels between Aylesford and contemporary Belgic graves, including a similar range of grave goods and the preference for urned cremation in the 1st century BC. New studies indicate that cremated bone can be used for strontium isotopic analysis (Harvig et al 2014;Jernejčič & Price 2020). It may thus be possible to test for the presence of non-locals within Aylesford cemeteries, although determining their origin is a different matter (Kootker et al 2018, 596).…”

Section: Late Iron Age Britain Ireland and The Near Continent In Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Iron Age Mortuary Practices in Britain: An Assessment of Current Trends and their Characteristics within Contemporary North-western European Traditions

Lamb¹

2022

Proc. Prehist. Soc.

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The past four decades have been a time of great activity for researchers examining the Iron Age in north-west Europe. Since the 1980s, the scale of archaeological fieldwork has expanded massively and, with it, the quantity of data available to study. Iron Age mortuary data have been one of the main beneficiaries of this. Britain is no exception to this trend, with a number of important discoveries made over the years, thereby improving our understanding of mortuary practices during this period. The situation is comparable for the regions which immediately border Britain: Ireland, northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This paper reviews the current state of research for this part of Europe, contextualising the Iron Age British data within the broader north-west European frame of these neighbouring regions. In so doing, a better understanding of how chronological developments in the British mortuary data relate to those elsewhere is possible. Additionally, these data may inform us of other aspects of past societies, such as population mobility, social structure, and the persistence of ritual practices over time.

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Challenges of Biological Profile Estimation from Burnt Remains

Thompson¹

2023

Burnt Human Remains

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Isotopic investigations of human cremations from the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age cemetery of Ljubljana – Dvorišče SAZU, Slovenia

Cited by 3 publications

References 10 publications

Human mobility in a Bronze Age Vatya ‘urnfield’ and the life history of a high-status woman

Human mobility in a Bronze Age Vatya ‘urnfield’ and the life history of a high-status woman

Iron Age Mortuary Practices in Britain: An Assessment of Current Trends and their Characteristics within Contemporary North-western European Traditions

Challenges of Biological Profile Estimation from Burnt Remains

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