In this paper, a series of new radiocarbon dates on burnt human bones recovered from megalithic graves in southwestern Sweden is reported. The purpose was to reveal possible chronological patterns of these depositions. Both the location of the bones within the grave and the characterisation of the burnt bones are discussed. The megalithic graves in the study area were mainly used for successive inhumation burials and have been subjected to extensive reuse throughout prehistory. Burnt human bones have therefore been assumed to originate from later periods when cremation was the dominant burial practice, although indications of Neolithic cremations occur. The radiocarbon dates demonstrate that most of the burnt bones derived from later reuse of the graves. More unexpectedly, several depositions also dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, confirming parallel practices of inhumation and cremation during these periods. Furthermore, the results indicate that the placement of the burnt bones and the treatment of the human remains to some degree varied over time.

After the eve of domestication of some wild species of cereal grains as well as sheep, goat, and pig in the Iranian central Zagros Mountains in the 2nd half of the 8th millennium BC, the process of Neolithization and sedentism began with earnest outside of this core region. This initial Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) phase appeared in Lowland Susiana, in the province of Khuzestan, southwestern Iran, and in highland province of Fars around 7200 BC. While the Pottery Neolithic (PN) phase in Susiana developed into a set of regionally uniform material culture, the contemporary PN landscape in Fars developed into a mosaic of regional cultures with both related and unrelated ceramic tradition. Yet, from the onset of PN, these early communities had inter-regional connection, as the presence of Persian Gulf shells, copper, and obsidian in many of these early settlements indicate. This mosaic of different ceramic traditions eventually developed into two distinct pottery traditions with specific geographic distribution in northern and southeastern Fars.

The state of Odisha is one of the most important regions for tribal groups and we find 62 major types of ethnic communities belonging to different language families. Although numbers of scholars have widely reported on different aspects of tribal religion, beliefs, practices and a few kinds of literature give some information about the living megalithic tradition, we do not have adequate data on their distribution pattern in this region. However, the present work is based on the recent work on the living megalithic tradition of Munda communities. Up to now, many papers have been published on the Mundas but no one has reflected on the living megalithic tradition. Finally, the paper, still at its preliminary stage, gives us some information about their distribution and some other information related to the funeral rituals and megalithic tradition.

Bei dem vorliegenden Beitrag handelt es sich um einen Bericht zu palynologischen Untersuchungen im Rahmen archaologischer Ausgrabungen des Instituts fur Ur- und Fruhgeschichte der Universitat Kiel am Fundplatztes Wangels LA 69, Kreis Ostholstein. Die Auswertung der archaologischen Ergebnisse zur Chronologie und Genese dieses mehrphasigen neolithischen Bestattungsplatz erfolgte durch Brozio (2016). Demnach wurde im fruhen Mittelneolithikum, c. 3360 cal BC, ein megalithische Gangrab vom Typ „Holsteiner Kammer“ mit Rundhugel errichtet. Diese wurde im Laufe des Mittelneolithikums zu einem Langbett erweitert. Der Nachweis von subfossilen Bodenhorizonten, inklusive Hakenpflugspuren, unter der ersten Grabanlage sowie in Sodenpackungen des Langbettes gab Anlass fur die begleitenden pollenanalytische Untersuchungen. Diese erlaubten einen Einblick in die lokale Landnutzung und Vegetationsverhaltnisse wahrend unterschiedlicher Nutzungsphasen. Konnte aufgrund der bisherigen archaologischen Ergebnisse nicht eindeutig geklart werden, ob es sich bei den Pflugspuren um rituelle oder profane Handlungen handelte, so unterstutzen die vorliegenden Ergebnisse die letztere Deutung. Der Nachweis von Offenland- und Ackerbauanzeigern erlaubte hierbei die Ansprache eines fruhneolitischen Ackerhorizontes unter der Grabanlage. Der Vergleich mit ahnlichen Untersuchungen von Palaoboden unter Grabhugeln in den Niederlanden, Danemark und Schleswig-Holstein legt nahe, dass die Errichtung auf ehemaligen Nutzflachen, und damit die Transformation von profanem zu sakralen Orten, ein typisches Phanomen trichterbecherzeitlicher Grabanlagen ist.

Though Manipur is a small hilly state of North East India, it is populated by various ethnic groups. The major ethnic groups are the Meeteis/Meiteis, the Naga tribes/Naga groups and the Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups. Each ethnic group consists of a number of smaller groups and has very rich cultural elements of megalithic traditions, which are transmitted from one generation to the next. From the time of yore, various megalithic structures have been raised by various communities on different occasions. The most common type of megalithic structure is the menhir. Here, the author will discuss the megaliths of some tribes which belong to the so-called Naga group. In the past, all the communities were animists and followed their own traditional religions. They performed various rites and rituals along with feastings and raised megaliths, particularly monoliths, the menhirs of social status. Nowadays, most members of the Naga group are baptized Christians and have abandoned their age-old tradition. In this paper, the author tries to highlight the most significant changes that have taken place after the acceptance of the new religion, Christianity, as far as material allows.

Vangchhia is a small village in Mizoram, lying on the Indo-Myanmar border. Many engraved menhirs were discovered at Vangchhia during the course of exploration. Also, petroglyphs were found in four localities of this particular village. Though their number is very limited, they are very significant for study as they will reflect the cultural life of the people who carved these petroglyphs before the current inhabitants of the area arrived. In terms of subject matter, they are similar in style and theme to their engraved counterparts on the menhirs found in this village. These petroglyphs are made by applying the simple methods of engraving and carving on the exposed rock outcrops situated on the hill slopes overlooking the Tiau River, which flows about a kilometer to the east of the petroglyph sites. It is worth studying these petroglyphs to reconstruct the cultural history of Mizoram mainly before the introduction of Christianity in Mizoram, as the Mizos stopped the practice of engraving petroglyphs on the rock surfaces after their conversion to Christianity in the 19th century. So this work has been taken up for discussion. This paper will discuss the form, subject matter and distribution of the rock art sites in this village and the probable purpose of these petroglyphs.