Space not Only for the Living: Burials and Human Bones in Bronze and Iron Ages Settlements in Poland with a Case Study of Bruszczewo Jutta Kneisel, Mateusz Jaeger Mitteilungen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte Beiheft 3 (2024) https://doi.org/10.30819/mbgaeu.b45.7     pp: 111-138     2025-01-14

Space not Only for the Living: Burials and Human Bones in Bronze and Iron Ages Settlements in Poland with a Case Study of Bruszczewo

Stichworte/keywords: irregular burials, Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, human remains

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Abstract
The article focuses on the human remains from the Bronze Age site in Bruszczewo. The large scale excavations enabled a good overview about the human bone distribution on this site. The material is quite heterogeneous. Beside a regular burial a lot of bone fragments are known from the terrace as well from the wet area. A large number of human bones were found in pits and cultural layers. Of the more than 41,000 bones in total, about 146 fragments can be attributed to humans; 97 of which have been examined in more detail. The distribution and different contexts of them are discussed and interpreted. Following up on these results a comparison of the settlement burial with other burials in the area reveals striking differences. The burials of the princely burial mounds in Łęki Małe, for instance, reveal rich grave objects and have an elaborate tomb construction. Apparently not every individual had access to an elaborate burial. The numerous scattered bones in the settlement testify to the fact that not even all individuals (or only not all males?) were entitled to a burial. There are two other alternatives for the separate bones, a lot of which were found in the area or within the wattle-work fence. They could be seen either as graves destroyed by a flood and washed into the site, or as deceased people who could no longer be buried, for example after a battle or epidemic. Although the number of sex-determined individuals with six skeletons is very small, since they are all men, this would speak more for warlike activities. Further 14C-dating could provide clarification here.