Roots 12 - Death in Times of Change

This book examines burial rituals among prehistoric communities that inhabited the East European forest zone between ca. 9500 and 2700 cal BCE. Based on evidence from 130 burial sites with a total of 1406 graves located between the Baltic and the Urals, the study provides a detailed examination of burial practices from the Mesolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Drawing upon extensive archaeological data and employing a multivariate statistical method, the research addresses key questions regarding the evolution of hunter-fisher-gatherer burial customs and the factors driving these changes. The study identifies three major transformations in burial practices among foraging populations. Each transformation appears to be associated with socio-structural, cultural and environmental changes, resulting in significant shifts in burial behaviour, as reflected in burial site location, body positioning, post-mortem manipulations, grave goods, and accompanying burial features. The research points to the evolving differential treatment of deceased children and women over time, indicating shifts in societal, age-related as well as gender-related attitudes. Previously undocumented burial practices, such as post-depositional grave disturbances and partial and full cremation, contribute to our understanding of mortuary traditions among local forest-zone foragers. Overall, the book sheds light on the social, cultural, and environmental dynamics of prehistoric communities in Eurasia, based on a comprehensive analysis of burial practices and their implications for broader societal changes.