The dead of the Dietersberg Cave, Germany

New insights into burial practices of the Iron Age from 14C-dates and stable isotope (C, N, O, Sr) analyses of human bones and teeth

Bibliographic Data

ID5401756
AuthorsNils Müller‐scheeßel (0000-0001-7992-8722, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, corresponding author), Gisela Grupe (0000-0002-2731-2296), Bernd Mühldorfer (Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum), Thomas Tütken (0000-0002-2590-8600, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)
Year2020
Volume12
Issue3
Publication date2020-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeological and Anthropological Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1866-9557 • E-ISSN: 1866-9565
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s12520-020-01025-1
OpenAlexW3005053159
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited41

The provenance and depositional setting of the human remains in the Dietersberg Cave, located in the Franconian Alb in Southern Germany, are evaluated based on 14C-dates and stable isotope analyses (C, N, O, Sr). Four basic scenarios are discussed: (1) human sacrifice, (2) 'regular' burial place for a small social unit, (3) special social group (e.g. slaves) and (4) special circumstances of death (e.g. fatal illness). Scenarios 1 and 2 are unlikely as the age distribution includes all ages and both sexes and the 14C-dates of the human remains span most of the Iron Age which would result in an implausible small burial community. Stable isotope analyses also render the deposition of slaves (scenario 3) implausible because a high proportion of the individuals were probably of local origin and their diet was not fundamentally different from that of contemporary populations. The archaeological evidence points to a social bias (i.e. low social standing) as reason for deposition. However, the high numbers of apotropaic objects and of perinatals also suggest that scenario 4 might be plausible for at least some of the individuals. The cave was probably a place of deposition not only for one category of individuals but also for those whose burial in the 'regular' cemetery was not considered appropriate

Archaeology · Biology · Cave · Geography · Grave goods · Human bone · Isotope analysis · Provenance · Sedimentary depositional environment · Sociology · Stable isotope ratio · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology