engleski

Living and dying during the Bronze Age in the Pannonian Basin — mortuary practices and health conditions in the community of Jagodnjak between 2000 and 1500 BCE

Archaeological rescue excavations of the Jagodnjak – Krčevine site (AN 7) in the Osijek- Baranya County in eastern Croatia were carried out in 2014 and 2015. The excavations revealed numerous traces of human activity at the site, ranging from prehistoric (Neolithic, Bronze Age, Late Iron Age) to later periods (Roman and Early Medieval). One of the most important finds was a discovery of the bi-ritual cemetery consisting of 12 inhumation and 30 cremation burials dated to the final periods of the Early and to the Middle Bronze Age, the so called Transdanubian Encrusted Pottery culture (ca 2000-1500 BC). Alongside human remains, the recovered burials contained numerous pottery vessels accompanied by large quantities of cremated and non-cremated animal remains and over 150 metal (mostly bronze) objects. Considering that similar finds on the territory of Croatia are exceptionally rare this was a unique opportunity to get a better insight into various aspects of life and death at this site during the Bronze Age. In our study we used a holistic approach by combining field archaeology and biological anthropology. First, we tried to reconstruct funerary rites practiced in the Jagodnjak community, especially in the case of cremation burials, based on the archaeological data but also the results of taphonomic analysis. And secondly, by applying comprehensive bioarchaeological analysis of human skeletal remains from the site we obtained detailed information on demographic and pathological characteristics of the people inhabiting this region in the Bronze Age period.

Jagodnjak ; Bronze Age ; human remains

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