Sepulchral complexes of human burials and animal deposits, site 23, Sadowie, Opatów Distrct. Study of selected examples

Abstract

This article attempts to reconstruct the functional relationships between human graves and animal deposits in the context of a Globular Amphora culture cemetery in Sadowie, Opatów District, Sandomierz Upland, Poland. A special characteristic of this cemetery is the grouping of graves into complexes, forming functional-chronological wholes. For the purpose of the study, three such complexes were selected: III (Graves 1 and 2), IV (Graves 5–4-3) and IX (Graves 8–7). Each consisted of a human burial and an accompanying animal deposit of mostly cattle remains. In the case of Complexes III and IX, the lack of stratigraphic relationships and similarity in cultural inventories suggest that they were built at short intervals. Complex IV in contrast, is characterised by a time spread between animal deposits and human burials, which is indicated by radiocarbon dates. The complexes of human graves and animal deposits find analogies in other sepulchral features in the Vistula drainage basin and areas settled by the other regional groups of the Globular Amphora culture at that time.