Are metals necessary for the study of social stratification during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age? A proposal for a new methodological approach

Abstract

The relationship between the social status of individuals and the presence of metal grave goods has been one of the most extensively researched areas in mortuary archaeology. Our study raises questions about the potential existence of other indicators of social status, which may also be important bearers of social information. This study made use of the individuals from the Wicina cremation cemetery (n = 355), buried during the late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age, for whom age at death was estimated. The presence of timber grave chambers (GCh) and the minimum number of vessels (MNV) per grave were considered as proxies for social stratification. Tests were completed to determine whether these grave indices differentiated the probability of survival of individuals from different age classes, and to identify the indices that had the most significant predictive power with respect to age at death. Social stratification was reflected in the probability of survival: individuals belonging to a higher stratum of society had a greater probability of surviving for a longer period of time, and vice versa. Our results showed that the occurrence of metal objects had no effect on the probability of survival.