Cultural Monolith or Mosaic of Diversity? A Contribution to the Study of Funerary Practices on the South-Western Fringe of Old Prussian Territory

For many years, research on the funerary practices of early medieval Old Prussians has focused almost exclusively on evidence from the Sambian Peninsula. Recent discoveries, however, have provided a wealth of new data that enabled the first comprehensive analyses of Yatvingian burial customs. The present article reviews the current state of knowledge concerning early medieval cemeteries in the south-western Old Prussian lands, i.e., in Pomesania. Published studies and archival records pertaining to eight burial sites were collated and examined. The analysis indicates that cremation was the prevailing rite, performed in two principal types of pit graves: standard circular pits and large, several-metre-long features. Occasional inhumations are most likely linked to the process of Christianization. Cemeteries were almost invariably established near water. Recurrent characteristics include stone constructions, a relative paucity of metal grave goods, and frequent evidence for food offerings, indicated by small, wide-mouthed vessels and burnt animal bones. The study demonstrates that early medieval Old Prussian mortuary practices were quite diverse. In each region where sources permit meaningful analysis, Sambia, Yatvingia, and Pomesania, the burial rite, while sharing several fundamental traits such as cremation and the presence of collective graves, displays distinctive regional features

Archaeological evidence · Archaeological record · Grave goods · Mosaic · Prussian blue · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies

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