Middle Bronze Age Burials Research Articles

Barrow Necropolis from the 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC in Western Ukraine. A Bayesian Modeling and Isotopic Study

AbstractThis article discusses the absolute chronology of burials from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC discovered under the mounds of three barrows in the Kordyshiv cemetery in western Ukraine. Its aim is to create a chronological model of the burials by modeling 27 AMS 14C dates obtained from 21 individuals buried in single and collective graves. Dietary analysis of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values are presented. The Bayesian modeling of the 14C dates from the three Kordyshiv barrows revealed the extremely important role of these monuments as long-term objects used for ritual purposes. At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, the epi-Corded Ware Culture (epi-CWC) community erected a mound over the central burial in Barrow 2, then interred the graves of three additional deceased. After several hundred years Barrow 2 was reused by Komarów Culture (KC) communities from the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) who interred their deceased in the existing mound. The oldest monument with MBA burials was Barrow 3, in which the dead were buried in a two-stage sequence before and after the mid-2nd millennium BC. The youngest dated grave was Burial 1 in Barrow 1, comprising a collective burial that was interred between 1400 and 1200 BC. The additional analyses of carbon and nitrogen isotopes show significant differences in the diet of epi-CWC individuals buried in Barrow 2 from the individuals representing the KC.

An Elite Middle Bronze IIA Warrior Tomb from Yehud, Central Coastal Plain, Israel

A salvage excavation held at the city of Yehud (Israel) revealed an unusual burial of the Middle Bronze (MB) IIA period. The grave was isolated from other MB burials in the Yehud area and was exceptionally large and rich in terms of the types and diversity of burial offerings, which included pottery vessels, metal objects, and animal bones. An outstanding find among the burial goods was an anthropomorphic jug whose neck was shaped in the form of a seated figure supporting its head with the right hand, evoking the image of Rodin’s “Le Penseur.” This paper presents the grave and offerings uncovered in the excavation and an interpretation of these finds, along with a discussion of the grave within the wider context of Middle Bronze Age burials in Yehud and beyond, suggesting it was associated with an elite warrior, who served most likely as a local leader.

Metal Casting Equipment in the Bronze Age Burials in Europe

The article is devoted to the analysis of the finds of foundry implements in the Bronze Age burials in Europe. In addition, it revises criteria for identifying burials of metalworkers. In all probability, complexes where the professional sphere of the buried is represented only by tools associated with metal work and by those with a full set of tools suitable for work should be attributed to those of metalworkers. As a result of comparison of aspects and dynamics of this phenomena, common and specific characteristics of Eastern Europe, on the one side, and Central and Western — on the other, have been revealed. Burials with casting equipment in Europe first emerged in the Late Aeneolithic Age and existed in the Early Bronze Age. In the Middle Bronze Age, this tradition was widespread in the south of Eastern Europe, especially among the Catacomb cultures. In Central and Western Europe, in contrast, burials of metalworkers are almost totally absent in the Middle Bronze Age. Casting equipment in the funerary context emerged anew in Central and Western Europe in the Late Bronze Age. However, these finds are mostly located in the burial grounds and are connected with the burials. In Eastern Europe, only one Late Bronze Age complex with casting equipment is known. Nevertheless, in Transural region, Western Siberia and Kazakhstan they existed in the same period. These complexes are very different from the Middle Bronze Age burials of metalworkers. Overall, discrepancies in the development of this phenomenon in the eastern and western European regions are related to their cultural development in the course of the Bronze Age.

Элистинский курганный могильник: анализ соотношения курганов и погребений раннего и среднего бронзового века

Introduction. Elista grave field is a largest and most investigated one in the Ergeni Uplands, with the bulk of barrows and burials dated to the Bronze Age. Burial mound sites in the mentioned area are distinguished by linear positioning of tumuli — the most sizeable groups constitute chains of kurgans located transversally along watershed lines. Plateau-like ridges may comprise groups consisting of several parallel kurgan chains. Goals. The study aims at analyzing the correlation (ratio) between kurgans and burials of Early and Middle Bronze Age cultures within the grave field of Elista. Results. The work reveals some specific functions of under-kurgan rooms (space) in different cultures of the examined period. So, burial mounds of the Yamnaya culture contained one central burial each. In the Early Catacomb era, inlet burials were made only in ‘own’ barrows, while the arrived North Caucasian steppe culture gave rise to scattered cases of constructing inlet burials in culturally alien kurgans. Pit-catacomb burials were characterized by somewhat differing use of foreign culture barrows: one such construct virtually demolished the main burial in a Yamnaya kurgan; in another instance, the creation of an inlet burial was followed by heaping quite a plenty of soil which resulted in that the tumulus became several times as large. The distinctive feature is that all the monuments are arranged along the watershed without visible clustering. The largest group is that of kurgans and burials referred to as the East Manych Catacomb culture. Catacomb barrows were inserted into the existing chain, and dimensionally the bulk of them were virtually identical to previous monuments. Conclusions. The analysis shows research of Early and Middle Bronze Age burials should focus not only on quantitative properties in separate kurgans. When it comes to counting inlet burials it is critical to identify the cultural and chronological affiliation of the main burial. Moreover, it is important to obtain additional data, such whether the burial is located inside the tumulus or below the latter, whether there is any trace of later soil heaping, etc. This may be instrumental in discovering additional groups of inlet burials that vary from ‘common’ to ‘elite’ ones and could have been accompanied by several-fold enlargement of the initial (original) tumulus.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ДЕМЕМБРАЦИИ В ПОГРЕБАЛЬНОЙ ПРАКТИКЕ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ КАТАКОМБНОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ НА НИЖНЕМ ДОНУ

The paper is devoted to the analysis of a series of Middle Bronze Age burials from the barrow cemeteries of Veselyi I, Chaltyrskiy XI, Glubokaya II and Molokanovskiy III in the Lower Don region. All of them present a hitherto unknown type of demembration which involves a complete of partial displacement of bones “in blocks”, i. e. in anatomical articulation. Judging by both their inventory and ritual details, the burials in question belong to the late stage of the Catacomb culture (late stage of the Donets culture, Bakhmur variant, and the Manych culture). The displacement of bones “in blocks” (and penetration into the grave) took place during the first year after the funeral. There is a number of hypotheses that attempt to explain the appearance of demembration in ritual practices of ancient people. The burial contexts described in this paper support the hypothesis ac- cording to which demembration served as a method of rendering the dear harmless.

Middle Bronze Age Burials in the Southern Levant: Spartan Warriors or Ordinary People?

Summary Intermediate and Middle Bronze Age tombs with weapons (mainly daggers) in the southern Levant were often interpreted as ‘warrior graves’. Taking into consideration new data from Rishon Le-Zion (Israel), recent work on early warfare and warriors, and a study of so-called ‘warrior graves’ in Mesopotamia (Rehm 2003), we suggest that most of these graves are not graves of elite warriors, but typical male burials. We also discuss the assumed ‘burial kit’ and the decline in numbers of weapons per burial, which is in our view related to the shift from individual burials (in the Intermediate Bronze and Middle Bronze IIA periods) to multiple shaft burials (in the Middle Bronze IIB period).

Descoperiri funerare din epoca mijlocie a bronzului în valea Râului Negru (jud. Covasna) / Middle Bronze Age funerary discoveries in the Black River Valley (Covasna County)

The present paper deals with some Middle Bronze Age burials in the valley of the Black River, in south‐ eastern Transylvania, Covasna County. The material published (analyzed) came from the excavations made in the early 1910’ s and between the 1960– 1990. Some of these burials have been published already, but we considered a reevaluation as being necessary. The burial at Poian – Panta de piatră was only mentioned in a half sentence, providing no information about grave goods, context, etc. The findings at Sânzieni – Piatra de tocilă were connected to the Tumulus Culture, unknown in the studied area. We consider they belong to a Wietenberg burial, since Wietenberg pottery was discovered in the settlement layer. Another discovery connected to the Middle Bronze Age was also made at Sânzieni, in the place called Locul domnesc. One funeral urn was discovered at Turia – Groapa caprei. We have been able to identify another urn, which probably belonged to a second burial. The burials can be dated to the Wietenberg II phase since the complex decorating motifs, characterizing the IIIrd phase are totally missing. The urns were buried in the vicinity of the settlements or inside them. An exception are the burials at Turia (including the necropolis), where the closest settlement is at 900 m.

Paleodiet, Radiocarbon Chronology, and the Possibility of Freshwater Reservoir Effect for Preobrazhenka 6 Burial Ground, Western Siberia: Preliminary Results

This article presents the results of radiocarbon dating and a chronology of the Preobrazhenka 6 site of the Odino culture (Baraba forest steppe, western Siberia). Currently available 14C data for the necropolis do not allow accurate determination of the presence or absence of reservoir effects, and as such, further research is needed. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating of paired samples of terrestrial faunal and fish remains from a Neolithic pit suggest the absence of a reservoir effect in fish bone collagen. Middle Bronze Age burials have therefore been estimated to date to the 23rd–20th centuries cal BC. Pits with fish remains are dated earlier than burials, to the 63rd–61st centuries cal BC. Stable isotope measurements of human bone collagen (high δ15N and low δ13C values) indicate diets based on C3 plants and fish. Apparently, the role of animal protein in the diet was not significant. Dental paleopathology analysis has confirmed the important role of wild plants in human diet. Neolithic fish bones are elevated in δ13C [–13.5‰, average mean (n = 4)]. They are significantly different from the associated values of fish from the Late Bronze Age settlement of Chicha 1 [–22.5‰, average mean (n = 10)], which is also located in the Baraba forest steppe. The difference in δ13C values in fish bones may be determined by the origin of the samples, being derived either from lakes or rivers.

Early and Middle Bronze Age Burials at Ordynskoye-1, Western Siberia: A New Cultural Interpretation

An Early and Middle Bronze Age multicomponent burial ground at Ordynskoye-1 is described and interpreted with special reference to the chronology and cultural affinities of the two principal components – Krotovo and Yelunino.

Periodization of bronze age cultures in the ob–irtysh forest-steppe: the stratigraphic position of early and middle bronze age burials at tartas-1

The paper presents archaeological materials recovered from the Tartas-1 burial ground in 2010. The limited area of Tartas-1 contains burials, the stratigraphic position of which makes it possible to establish a periodization of Early and Middle Bronze Age cultures in the Baraba forest-steppe. The paper describes burials attributed to the Ust-Tartas, Odino, Krotovo, and Late Krotovo cultures.

Human Remains from Middle Bronze Age Burials at Sidon, Lebanon: the 2001 Season

This report is concerned with fragmented skeletal remains dating to the Middle Bronze Age that were excavated in the 2001 campaign at Sidon, Lebanon. From 19 discrete burial units a total of 31 individuals were identified and assessed as to their biological characteristics. The majority of adults who could be sexed were male, many of them strongly built. The overall age distribution in this sample is characterised by a pattern commonly found in prehistoric assemblages, with high mortality during infancy and early childhood and a peak in adult mortality during early adulthood. There is a conspicuous occurrence of unusual dental traits. Jar burials, all found with remains of sub-adult individuals, represent a burial practice applied to children of a wide age range. Many burials are associated with faunal remains, mostly of sheep or goats, but also of large ungulates.

Scarabs from the Bronze Age Tombs at Sidon (Lebanon)

A study of nine scarabs mostly found in the Middle Bronze Age burials from Sidon, Lebanon.

Survey of the Remains of Mammals Recovered in the Middle Bronze Age Burials at Sidon (Lebanon)

The discovery, during the 2001 season at Sidon, of a group of Middle Bronze Age burials presents a new corpus of funerary offerings and animal sacrifices. The analysis of the animal remains provides archaeozoological data on the practices of burying animals and providing food offerings for the dead, and essential data for the understanding of burials and funerary rites which can be compared with the sparse literary information relating to these practices.

Sidon (Lebanon): Twenty Middle Bronze Age Burials from the 2001 Season of Excavation

The 2002 season of the British Museum excavations at Sidon uncovered twenty burials of the Middle Bronze Age. These included 'warrior' burials in constructed graves containing bronze weapons, child burials in jars, as well as the more common types of simple burials on plaster floors or sand. More burials have been found in the following season and the total so far has reached thirty-six. The graves and their contents are described in detail in the first article by Doumet-Serhal followed by an article on the scarabs (Taylor). Analysis of skeletal remains was undertaken at the Department of Archaeological Sciences in Bradford University (Ogden and Schutkowski) and the faunal material which includes not only sheep/goat but also fish, pig, tortoise and bovid is described by Vila (CNRS, Lyon).