Period Cemetery Research Articles

Chronological considerations for the use of the Late Roman–Migration period Cemetery at Plinkaigalis, Lithuania

AbstractThis study presents new (n=32) and previously published (n=35) human bone 14C AMS dates from 54 individuals interred in 50 burials in the Plinkaigalis cemetery (3rd–7th century AD, Lithuania). The aim of this study is to establish duration of use and identify temporal subgroups within the cemetery. Individuals in group burials were assessed for temporal agreement across individuals and the dates for individuals with multiple dates were combined using OxCal. The Sum command, Interval command, and two Bayesian models (overlapping and abutting periods of use) were used to approximate the use of the site over time and evaluate the chronology of dated burials. An IDW (inverse distance weighted) model was employed to visualize median radiocarbon dates across the cemetery for comparison to earlier IDW interpolations of time at Plinkaigalis. While the two models cannot be distinguished at this time, it can be determined that the site was likely in continuous use from 200–600 cal AD (Sum), 230–560 cal AD (Model 1), 220–550 cal AD (Model 2), or cal 283–508 AD (IDW). The area of the cemetery associated with earliest use shifted east when the IDW model was compared to original data. There was also poor agreement in some group burials and burials with multiple dates. The models generally agree on assignment of burials to phases, but disparate phase assignment was noted across the IDW and Bayesian models. Temporal subgroups cannot be confidently reclassified beyond early/later periods of use based on these models without additional sampling and refinement of the IDW modeling method.

New Data on Armed Conflicts in the Altai During the Rouran Period: The Choburak I Cemetery

This study focuses on a burial at a Rouran period cemetery, Choburak I, in the Chemalsky District, Republic of Altai, where altogether twelve burials were excavated by an expedition from the Altai State University. In kurgan 34a, a burial of a 30–35-year-old male with a horse was excavated. The burial goods included weapons, items of horse harness, utensils and domestic artifacts. The head of the buried individual had been replaced by the cranium of a ram, and certain postcranial bones revealed multiple injuries inflicted by a cutting weapon. The burial is attributed to the Dàlián tradition, associated with the Bulan-Koba culture. The analysis of the burial goods and a radiocarbon estimate suggest that the burial dates to the middle or second half of the 4th century AD. Injuries testify to armed conflicts, in which males had taken part, and support the belief that violence in the Altai was high during the Rouran period. The case is interpreted as one of decapitation. Given the parallels in adjacent regions, is can be hypothesized that the head of a ram had been used as a basis for a mask. Apparently, this peculiar custom was associated with the ritual in which the missing bodily part was replaced in specific cases of violent death.

Combined AMS 14C and archaeological dating of the Rouran period cemetery of Choburak-I (Northern Altai)

AbstractThis paper presents a detailed chronological study of the previously undisturbed burial ground of Choburak-I of the Bulan-Koby Culture in the Northern Altai using a program of comprehensive dating, including AMS 14C dating of human and animal remains (26 14C dates from 12 kurgans in total), and archaeological dating of the associated artifacts. This completely excavated cemetery contained numerous grave goods and various organic remains (anthropological and archaeozoological) critical for understanding the social and chronological dynamics of this culture during the Rouran period in Altai (second half of the 4th–first half of the 6th century CE). The results of archaeological dating, supported by the largest set of AMS 14C dates for the Bulan-Koby Culture, and further aided by Bayesian analysis, demonstrate the likely continuous existence of the necropolis within the period of 310–400 cal CE, which broadly corresponds to the beginning of the Rouran period in the history of Altai, with a maximum duration of 66 years. The presented results make it possible to consider the necropolis of Choburak-I as a chronologically defining monument of the Rouran period of Northern Altai and permit a new level of relative and absolute chronological reconstructions for archaeological sites of this region and adjacent territories at the turn of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

Textiles from the Hallstatt period cemetery in Domasław, Wrocław district (Poland)

The article presents the remains of textiles excavated in Early Iron Age cremated graves in the cemetery in Domaslaw (Poland). The fragments were preserved in 62 burials, mainly richly furnished chamber graves, on jewellery, dress accessories, tools, and weapons. The analysis of the contexts of the finds reveals that urns were ‘dressed up’ and textile containers were used. The contextual analysis of the finds provides the basis for the conclusion that their use in funeral ceremonies had a ritualized form. The textiles in the graves confirm the adaptation of the customs of the European Hallstatt elites among the local community.

Plants in the artefacts not used for their original purpose. A remarkable case from the Lazdininkai (Kalnalaukis) cemetery in western Lithuania

This article investigates tinned bronze ornaments found in two graves of the Lazdininkai-Kalnalaukis cemetery dated to the end of the 2nd century to the first quarter of the 3rd century AD from the perspective of archaeological materials, intercultural contacts, 14C AMS dating, and chemical-physical and biological research. These ornaments — a wheel-shaped pendant and a bead — were originally parts of fashionable necklaces. However, these ornaments went into the graves as spinning tools. The wheel-shaped pendant from grave 8(1992) contains the first ever found, or at least officially recorded, use in Lithuania of an aquatic plant for a spinning tool bobbin. The piece of possible linden tree wood was used to compose the spinning tool bobbin found in grave 68(2001). These spinning tools are the first to have appeared in Lithuanian archaeological material from as early as the end of the 2nd century to the first quarter of the 3rd century. In addition, both spinning tools are unique in the Lithuanian archaeological record so far in that the copper alloy spindle whorls were used to compose both working tools. The closest analogues for the wheel-shaped pendant are known from the Wielbark culture and this example should be considered as an import from that cultural area. Copper alloy beads and various local derivatives, however, are numerous in the range of the Baltic cultures area. The copper alloy wheel-shaped spindle whorls from the Migration period cemeteries are the spinning tools created for the specific purpose of spinning which were produced locally, even possibly in the same workshops.

Investigation of the Human Diet in Pella (North Greece) from the Prehistoric to the Classical Period Using Stable Isotopes and Radiocarbon Dating

The skeletal material from the Classical and Prehistoric period cemeteries of ancient Pella in Central Macedonia, Greece was examined anthropologically and analyzed for the stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Additionally, the Prehistoric cemetery burials were radiocarbon dated. The dates define the use of the prehistoric cemetery in the Early Bronze Age period (6600-6050 BC0.

Reopening Graves. Post-Funerary Activities at Moravian Migration Period Cemeteries (5th and 6th Centuries AD)

Reopening Graves. Post-Funerary Activities at Moravian Migration Period Cemeteries (5th and 6th Centuries AD)

The landscape position of the Roman period cemetery and pedological meaning of its cultural layer at the Malbork-Wielbark archaeological site (northern Poland)

Cultural layers are soil-sedimentary formations transformed by human activity. Unlike other anthropogenic soils/horizons, the cultural layers representing ancient cemeteries at archaeological sites are rather rarely studied. This research characterises the cultural layer of the eponymous cemetery of the Wielbark culture related to the Goths, dated to the Roman period (BC/AD) and located in northern Poland. The cemetery was founded in the edge zone of a morainic plateau and the delta of the Vistula river, on a small inland dune hillock, forming the least fertile habitat in the area. The necropolis covers more than 2200 burials. It was used continuously for about 600 years and preceded by a pre-Roman settlement phase. In the stratigraphy, human activity is recorded as a cultural layer, covering relics of the primary soil, which is a Podzol developed from quartz sand. The cultural layer is buried under younger colluvial and aeolian sediments reaching a thickness of 2.2 m. Radiocarbon and dendrochronological datings confirm the layer was formed between 2555 ± 35 BP and 1590 ± 30 BP. The pedological features of the Wielbark cultural layer are unlike those of other types of anthropogenic soil/horizon. It is characterised by an extremely sandy texture, dark grey to black colour, and low organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents. The black colouration relates to accumulation of pyrogenic black carbon originating from specific burial rituals of the Wielbark people. Classification of the Wielbark cultural layer according to the WRB soil classification seems problematic: it does not fit the criteria of any anthropogenic or natural surface diagnostic horizon. Its specificity may be marked only by the use of the Pyric supplementary qualifier. In terms of traditional pedological nomenclature, the described Wielbark-type cultural layer may be considered as ‘archaeo-necrosol’.

Physical Violence and Social Tension in the Atacama Desert: Osteobiography of a Woman from the Tarapacá 40 Formative Period Cemetery

AbstractPhysical violence and social conflict have been widely studied in the ancient societies of the Andes. However, studies about violence are scarce for the Formative period of northern Chile (1000 BC–AD 900). Evidence from these investigations is generally interpreted as interpersonal violence, whose protagonists are mostly men. Here, we present the case of an adult female recovered from the Tarapacá 40 cemetery (Tarapacá region, Chile) displaying lesions suggestive of trauma. We reconstruct her life and death in the context of this era's social and political conditions. Results of our bioanthropological characterization, cranial trauma analysis, carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, and recording of the funerary offerings suggest she was a local member of the Formative community buried in the Tarapacá 40 cemetery and that she suffered intentional lethal lesions. Her death is unusual because there are no previous bioarchaeological records of lethal violence against women in the Tarapacá region. The osteobiography of this woman reflects a context characterized by an increase in inequality and social complexity, whereby physical violence could be used as a mechanism of internal regulation and exercise of power during the Formative period.

Preliminary Report of the First Season of Excavation at the Achaemenid Period (Iron Age IV) Cemetery in Mersin, Semnan Province, Iran

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of the first excavation season of the Mersin cemetery, in the Semnan region, Iran. The cemetery was discovered through surface reconnaissance for the documentation of the area’s archaeological heritage before the construction of the Finesk Dam. Rescue excavations were then conducted in 2014 in three distinct areas of the necropolis. Particularly interesting were results were obtained from trench 3 in which 15 tombs dating to the Achaemenid period were found. This discovery is of particular importance because it reveals interesting information about the Late Iron Age in the area, which was virtually unknown prior to these investigations.

NEW HUMAN BONE RADIOCARBON DATES FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD–MIGRATION PERIOD LITHUANIAN CEMETERIES

ABSTRACTA set (n = 37) of new human bone radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (14C AMS) dates from 11 Lithuanian Late Roman Period–Migration Period cemeteries is presented and discussed in the light of the established schemes of archaeological chronology. The focus of the paper is on the burials of the military and social elite, which indicate the emergence of new cultural traditions in E–S and W–Central Lithuania or the immigration that took place during this time. The 14C dates allow us to suggest corrections to the dominant chronological pattern of cultural development in the region.

Mesolithic campsite from Nowe Miasteczko (western Poland)

Archaeological site 1 in Nowe Miasteczko has been known since the mid-1920s. It is most often associated with a La Tene period cemetery of the Gubin group of the Jastorf culture. Since September 2022, archaeological excavations have been carried out at the site in connection with an ongoing construction project. The research identified a younger Mesolithic phase of the site occupation. Recovered from the fills of archaeological features were flint artefacts, bone remains, macroscopic plant remains with accumulations of hazelnut shells (Corylus avellana), and samples for absolute dating.

An early Avar-age jug from Bandu

A jug of Germanic type was found at the Migration period cemetery of Band during archaeological excavations performed there by Kovács István. The cemetery is part of the row – grave cemeteries which expand from Britain to Transylvania in this period. The vessel has analogies in the contemporary cemetery Bratei no. 3 (Sibiu County), and in contemporary cemeteries from the Hungarian Plain. The artifact might offer an insight into the changes which one can witness during the Early Avar Period, and might contribute to a better understanding of the cemetery, of the funeral rites, and of its chronology.

Bioarchaeology of Arsenic, an Invisible Natural Pollutant, and Its Effect on the Mitimaes of Camarones Cove, Arica, during Inca Times

During the expansion of Tawantinsuyo, the Inca Empire sustained its hegemony by using multiple strategies, including moving specialized groups called mitimaes to their conquered territories. This study examines bioarchaeological evidence from the Camarones 9 (CAM-9) Inca period cemetery at the mouth of the Camarones Valley in northern Chile. The waters in this valley contain concentrations of arsenic that are 100 times above the norm (10 μg/L) for human ingestion, causing serious health consequences. We study the environmental health effects on this population, using atomic absorption spectrometry and hydride generation to investigate arsenic concentration in the bone tissues of 16 individuals sampled from this burial site. Three of four individuals presented arsenic levels in their bones that were beyond the standard 1 μg/g, with a median of 3.6 μg/g; in some, the levels were nine times higher than those currently recommended by the World Health Organization. Considering previous and current bioarchaeological evidence, especially the high arsenic levels found in these individuals, we postulate that the CAM-9 site population corresponds to mitimaes who settled on the Camarones coast. This study is relevant to all regions of the world that present ecotoxic loads.

Textile remains of the Avar cemetery at Tiszafüred-Majoros

Textile objects, elements of clothing placed in graves are seldom conserved and poorly researched. However, they inform us not only about clothing itself but also about other functions of textiles. Systematic collection and examination of fabrics may shed light on the textiles used by people of a certain region and period and what is more, import textiles may be identified. The study presents the catalogue and analysis of the textile remains excavated in Tiszafüred-Majoros, the largest Avar period cemetery in today eastern Hungary (mid-7th to 9th century AD).

“Coneheads” in the Gepid period : Artificial cranial deformation in a community by the Tisza River

The deliberate physical transformation of the human body is a very ancient custom that humans have been practicing since prehistoric times. Most methods concerned the soft tissues of the body, the piercing, expanding, and stretching of which have been widespread in terms of both time and space. Significantly fewer procedures targeted the bony skeletal parts. One of these is the artificial modification of the skull, of which, also, examples are known from almost every historical period and continent. The custom of artificial cranial deformation became quite widespread in the Carpathian Basin in the Hun and Gepid Periods. This study presents the anthropological characteristics of people with artificially deformed skulls in the Gepid Period cemetery at Tiszaug-Országúti bevágás, unearthed in two seasons (2018–19). It aims to contribute to our current knowledge of the custom of artificial cranial modification in the Carpathian Basin in the Gepid Period.

Sklo z doby stěhování národů ze Záluží u Čelákovic: archeologie a archeometrie / Migration period glass from Záluží (Central Bohemia): archaeology and archaeometry

With its at least 100 graves, the Migration period cemetery in Záluží by Čelákovice, Praha-východ district, investigated in the 1920s and 1930s ranks among the largest and most important sites from the end of the 5th to the middle of the 6th century AD in Bohemia. The same applies to the assemblage of glass composed of 168 beads and several additional artefacts. The chemical composition of the glass of 24 beads was identified using SEM-EDS and LA-ICP-MS. The results of these analyses indicated soda-lime glass of the natron type. An important result is the finding that translucent glasses belong to the ‘Intermediate group’, which was only recently identified in European archaeometric research. The composition of the glass in this group indicates that it was recycled glass, and in this sense the beads from Záluží contribute to the study of recycling in the first millennium AD in general.

Technology, Use and Reuse of Gold during the Middle Period: The Case of Casa Parroquial, Atacama Desert, Chile

The life-histories of gold artefacts can provide rich insight into technology and culture, but so far the potential of this research approach has not been exploited in the south central Andes. Here we present the analysis of 34 gold and silver objects from the Middle Period cemetery of Casa Parroquial (San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile), using pXRF, SEM-EDS, PIXE and digital microscopy. Chemical analyses detected variable compositions (2.4–73.1 per cent Ag and 0.2–3.4 per cent Cu) suggesting that artisans used both native gold and artificial gold-silver-copper alloys. Based on their manufacturing techniques, quality and designs, we identify two working styles, one technically more ‘careful’ than the other. Given their elemental and technological variety, together with the lack of local production evidence, we propose that these artefacts were imported as finished objects from Tiwanaku or Cochabamba and northwest Argentina. However, we identify a series of objects that were modified or reshaped as they entered a new cultural context, revealing complex life-histories. Modifications used relatively simple mechanical means: punching, cutting and folding, most likely made in multi-craft contexts by non-metallurgists from San Pedro.

Multi-isotopic analysis of dietary habits and mobility at third millennium BC Bakla Tepe, West Anatolia

This paper examines the dietary habits and mobility of an Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 BCE) population from Bakla Tepe (West Anatolia in the Izmir region). The research utilises the results of stable isotope analyses of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulphur (δ34S) from human bone collagen in conjunction with published archaeological data. Intra-population issues of dietary habits such as possible social divisions (e.g. between sexes, ages, and socio-economic status) were addressed. The sample population from Bakla Tepe consists of 19 adults and no subadults. In total, there are 8 males (42.1%) and 11 females (57.9%). There are two distinct and separate period cemeteries; from the Early Bronze Age I period, 7 individuals were sampled, with 12 individuals sampled from the Early Bronze Age II/III period. The results show that during the 3rd millennium BCE, dietary habits were generally homogeneous and became more so in the latter part of the millennium. Diets were predominantly terrestrial C3 based. There is one individual whose δ34S value suggests that she moved to the settlement from a location further inland and another whose δ34S value suggests that she may have moved to the settlement from nearer the coast.

The Sasanian Cemetery of Gird-i Bazar in the Peshdar Plain (Iraqi Kurdistan)

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of the 2015-2017 excavations at the site of Gird-i Bazar in the Sulaymaniyah province of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, where the Peshdar Plain Project excavated a Sasanian cemetery installed on the older Iron Age structures of the Dinka Settlement Complex. The characteristics of this cemetery are discussed in the framework of other Sasanian period cemeteries excavated in both Iraq and Iran. The objects from Gird-i Bazar cemetery are presented and compared to other similar items coming from graves and other contexts of the Sasanian period. Particular focus is given to a stamp seal showing a woman figure found in Grave 47, and the results of the radiocarbon analysis on a sample from the same grave, which has provided a good chronological anchor for the cemetery and the stamp seal as well. Finally, a discussion is offered as to the type of community who might have used the cemetery and its possible religious affiliation in relation to the attested presence of Christian communities in northern Mesopotamia during the Sasanian period.