Funerary Archaeology

This paper proposes a distinct “Bee Shaman” ritual identity traceable from the Zarzian world of Shanidar Cave and Zawi Chemi through Körtik Tepe, Göbekli Tepe, the northern Levant, and into the later symbolic foundations of early Egyptian sacred kingship. The study argues that this lineage was characterized by extreme hocker burials, chlorite bee-motif iconography, red ochre funerary practice, specialized ritual objects, altered-state initiation, and the manufacture or ritual use of Shaman Phalli.

The argument begins at Körtik Tepe, where bee/insect imagery, elite burial practice, chlorite vessels and plaquettes, and red ochre funerary treatment suggest the emergence of a guarded ritual office. It then follows this symbolic grammar into Göbekli Tepe’s Enclosure D, where bee and insect motifs are interpreted within a broader initiation sequence involving red ochre, deprivation, altered states of consciousness, Deneb alignment, the Vulva Stone, the Shaman Phallus, and the Hieros Gamos.

The paper does not claim direct proof of an unbroken Bee Shaman priesthood into Egypt. Instead, it argues for ritual-symbolic migration, regional absorption, and later reassembly. In this model, an older Upper Tigris / Anatolian symbolic grammar may have survived collapse and dispersal by entering new cultural and theological forms. In Egypt, this grammar may have been reassembled around Min, Coptos, red honey, red ochre, phallic fertility theology, royal ideology, and the Bee of the Nesu-Bity title.

The study also addresses the unresolved Egyptological problem of the Bee’s sacral authority in early royal titulary. Rather than treating the Bee as a simple geographic emblem of Lower Egypt, this paper proposes that it may preserve the transformed memory of an older ritual grammar rooted in the Neolithic shamanic world of Upper Mesopotamia and southeastern Anatolia.

Рассматриваются предварительные результаты изотопных исследований эмали зубов
индивидов, у которых выявлена деформация черепа. Анализируемый материал происходит из двух за-
крытых комплексов кургана Новопокровка Х (Среднее Прииртышье, Западная Сибирь). Все погребения
периферийные впускные, определена их принадлежность к древностям саргатской культуры с возмож-
ной датировкой не ранее рубежа эр – первые века н.э.

Аннотация. Представлены результаты анализа текстильных материалов и керамических пряслиц, обнаруженных в женском захоронении саргатской культуры в Среднем Прииртышье (погребение 4 кургана 1 могильника Новопокровка-IV). Авторы вводят в научный оборот находки, которые для лесостепных памятников Зауралья и Западной Сибири относятся к категории редких,-это шелк и шерсть. В ходе исследований установлены технологические особенности образцов-шерстяная ткань полотняного переплетения и шелковая плетеная сетка. Изученные фрагменты могут относиться к одному изделию, представлявшему собой некий головной убор с сеткой для волос. Пряслица изготовлены из стенок гончарной керамики; их края подправлены абразивом. Выявленные следы на внутренней поверхности сквозного отверстия одного из пряслиц-линейные, носят технологический характер и связаны со сверлением отверстия. Внутри канала второго предмета отсутствуют следы сверления, но отмечается выровненность, сглаженность и уплотнение поверхности, что позволяет допустить его использование в качестве насада. Концентрические изделия с отверстием посредине, выполненные из разных материалов различными способами, судя по форме, в большинстве случаев являются маховиками или насадами, нанизанными на ось небольших предметов. В археологической литературе такие находки именуются пряслицами, что не только ведет к однозначной трактовке о принадлежности к ткачеству и прядению, но и к рассмотрению в категории полодиагностирующих предметов в составе сопроводительного инвентаря женских захоронений. Не оспаривая в целом существующие атрибуцию и назначение пряслиц, авторы обсуждают их во взаимосвязи с находками текстиля, что существенным образом дополняет имеющиеся представления о разных аспектах жизнедеятельности полукочевого населения лесостепи Западной Сибири в раннем железном веке.

Durante o acompanhamento arqueológico em 2010 nas obras do projeto de integração do Rio São Francisco com as bacias hidrográficas do Nordeste setentrional pelo Inapas, foi achado um sítio arqueológico de uso funerário com presencia de cerâmicas Tupi-guarani da subtradição policrômica no município de Brejo Santo, no Ceará. Na urna funerária escavada emergencialmente, foram recuperados escassos remanescentes humanos datados com uma idade radiocarbônica convencional em 720 ± 30 anos AP. Apresenta-se aqui descrição do achado, a caraterização das urnas cerâmicas e dos escasso remanescentes humanos (ossos e dentes) conservados ao interior das mesmas. O caso isolado das urnas de Baixio dos Lopes permite aproximar-se ao entendimento das práticas mortuárias secundárias dos grupos Tupi-guarani no semiárido nordestino. THE HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE TUPI-GUARANI FUNERARY URNS IN THE BAIXIO DOS LOPES SITE, BREJO SANTO – CE (720 ± 30 years BP)ABSTRACTDuring the archaeological follow-up in 201...

Six cremation burials were selected for radiocarbon dating from the burial ground located in sector K6 at the site of Florești–Polus Center (Szászfenes, Cluj County, RO). This data provides valuable, preliminary
insights into the chronological framing of a major archaeological field research in Transylvania, which has been pending publication for the past two decades. More importantly, the association of certain types of
vessels with metal finds offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap of relative chronology between the two types of archaeological find-groups.

Este artículo presenta dos yacimientos de petroglifos inéditos de Malagón (La Mancha, interior de la Península Ibérica) como casos de estudio sobre la reutilización cultural a largo plazo y la reinterpretación del arte rupestre prehistórico. Mediante un enfoque diacrónico-biográfico que combina fuentes arqueológicas, históricas y etnográficas, nuestra investigación ha identificado varias fases gráficas que abarcan desde la Prehistoria tardía hasta el siglo XIX. Entre ellas se incluyen cazoletas, motivos esquemáticos, inscripciones, iconografía cristiana e imaginería moderna. Además, las entrevistas con los lugareños indican que estos yacimientos han seguido utilizándose hasta la actualidad. En consecuencia, ambos yacimientos representan un escenario ideal para explorar cómo diferentes comunidades humanas han interactuado de forma persistente con estos lugares a lo largo de milenios, atribuyéndoles nuevos significados alineados con las cambiantes cosmovisiones. Así, en lugar de concebir los yacimientos arqueológicos como reliquias estáticas, el estudio hace hincapié en su papel dinámico en la construcción de la memoria y la identidad colectivas. En última instancia, todo ello respalda la idea de que integrar los conocimientos tradicionales en la interpretación arqueológica puede dar lugar a un enfoque más inclusivo y con base social para la preservación del patrimonio. //
This paper presents two unpublished petroglyph sites from Malagón (La Mancha, inner Iberia) as case studies in the long-term cultural reuse and reinterpretation of prehistoric rock art. Through a diachronic-biographical approach that combines archaeological, historical, and ethnographic sources, our research has identified several graphic phases spanning from Late Prehistory to the 19th century. These include cup-marks, schematic motifs, inscriptions, Christian iconography, and modern imagery. Moreover, interviews with locals indicate that these sites have remained in use through to the present day. Consequently, both sites represent an ideal scenario to explore how different human communities have persistently engaged with these sites throughout millennia, attributing new meanings aligned with changing worldviews. Thus, rather than conceiving archaeological sites as static relics, the study emphasizes their dynamic role in the construction of collective memory and identity. Ultimately, all this supports the notion that integrating traditional knowledge into archaeological interpretation can result in a more inclusive and socially grounded approach to heritage preservation.

Resumen: El presente estudio analiza el potencial del LiDAR del PNOA para la interpretación topográfica del paisaje funerario asociado al yacimiento fenicio-púnico del Castillo de Doña Blanca (Cádiz), con especial atención a la Necrópolis de las Cumbres. El procesamiento de datos LiDAR ha permitido generar un Modelo Digital del Terreno de alta resolución, analizado mediante técnicas de realce del relieve en SIG. Los resultados han posibilitado identificar anomalías microtopográficas compatibles con estructuras tumulares y redefinir la extensión y organización espacial de la necrópolis, documentando un número significativamente mayor de posibles túmulos respecto a trabajo previos. El estudio pone de manifiesto el valor del LiDAR como herramienta no invasiva para la investigación y gestión del patrimonio arqueológico, estableciendo una base metodológica para futuras prospecciones y análisis geoarqueológicos.

This monograph analyses a late antique necropolis discovered in Carthago Nova (Cartagena, Spain), traditionally regarded as the capital of Byzantine Spania.
Radiocarbon dating and structural analysis of the tombs and associated material deposits have made it possible to establish an evolutionary process between the 4th and 7th centuries (J.M. Noguera, UMU; J. Vizcaíno, UMA, MªJ. Madrid).
This study examines  Latin (I. Velázquez, UCM) and Greek (P. de Hoz, UCM) inscriptions and numismatic evidences (M. Lechuga), or glass (A. Velo, UGR) and ceramic (A. Murcia and J. Vizcaíno, UMA) finds. Particular attention is paid to items of clothing and personal adornment, focusing on their typology and archaeometric analysis in the case of both metal (I. Montero, CSIC) and amber (E. Vallejo and M. Murillo, UGR), amongst others. Similarly, within a holistic approach, funeral rites and customs are discussed, as well as legal implications (R. Rodríguez, UAL).
Of particular note is the anthropological study of the interred population (M. Haber and S. Rubio, UMU), which includes genomic analysis (P. Carrión, Max Planck), supported by new approaches to the archaeology of care (S. López, UMA) and the comprehensive management of anthropological material (C. Molero). Other chapters focus on archaeofaunal (M. Portí and M. Martínez) or anthracological (M. Celma, UMU) remains.
The work is rounded off with an overview of the city’s urban changes in the late period, featuring new data on its urban layout (L.A. García) and the relationship between the necropolis and the amphitheatre (F. Fernández, UMU and A. Mateo, UV), within the context of the development of this episcopal see (R. González and M. Lorente, UMU).

RESUMEN
Esta monografía estudia la necrópolis hallada en el Barrio Universitario de Cartagena (España), en uso entre los siglos IV y VII d. C.
La datación radiocarbónica o el análisis constructivo de las sepulturas y depósitos materiales asociados han permitido establecer una dinámica evolutiva, cuya última fase cubre el período de ocupación bizantina de la ciudad, tradicionalmente considerada capital de Spania.
Aquí se estudian desde sus inscripciones en latín (I. Velázquez, UCM) o griego (P. de Hoz, UCM), al depósito numismático (M. Lechuga), vítreo (A. Velo, UGR) o cerámico (A. Murcia y J. Vizcaíno, UMA). Los elementos de indumentaria y adorno personal son objeto de particular atención, incidiendo en su tipología y análisis arqueométrico tanto para el caso del metal (I. Montero, CSIC) como del ámbar (E. Vallejo y M. Murillo, UGR), entre otros. Del mismo modo, dentro de un planteamiento holístico, se discuten los ritos y costumbres funerarias, así como implicaciones jurídicas (R. Rodríguez, UAL).
Destaca el estudio antropológico de la población inhumada (M. Haber y S. Rubio, UMU), que incluye el análisis genómico (P. Carrión, Max Planck), siendo arropados por los nuevos enfoques de la arqueología de los cuidados (S. López, UMA) o la gestión integral del material antropológico (C. Molero).
Otros capítulos se centran en el depósito arqueofaunístico (M. Portí y M. Martínez) o antracológico (M. Celma, UMU).
Completa la obra una visión de los cambios urbanísticos de la ciudad en época tardía, con nuevos datos sobre su trama urbana (L.A. García) y la relación entre la necrópolis y el anfiteatro (F. Fernández, UMU y A. Mateo, UV), en el marco del desarrollo de esta sede episcopal (R. González y M. Lorente, UMU).

Identifying primary ceramic forming techniques is often problematic when surface traces are altered or erased by secondary shaping on the potter's wheel, particularly in vessels combining hand-building and wheel use. This study aims to develop a quantitative, non-destructive method to distinguish wheel-throwing and wheel-coiling techniques by analyzing internal fabric features. Experimental replicas of Middle Minoan handleless conical cups (18th cent. BC), produced using wheel-throwing-off-the-hump and wheelcoiling techniques, were investigated using X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT). Macropores were segmented from complete 3D µCT datasets and their shape preferred orientation was quantitatively assessed through ellipsoid fitting, orientation distribution functions, and pole figure analysis. The results reveal systematic and reproducible differences between the two forming techniques: wheel-coiled vessels show predominantly horizontal pore elongation, expressed as equatorial girdle textures and vertically clustered short axes, whereas wheel-thrown vessels display inclined pore orientations, forming displaced girdles and ring-like short-axis distributions. These contrasting orientation patterns reflect distinct deformation fields imposed during vessel shaping. The study demonstrates that quantitative 3D analysis of pore orientation in whole vessels provides reliable criteria for identifying ceramic forming techniques and confirms previous qualitative observations. This approach offers a robust framework for technological analysis of ceramics and can be applied to both complete vessels and suitably oriented fragments.

The publication highlights the preliminary results of the 2024 study of
one of the burial mounds in the Skorobir necropolis, provides a description of
the burial mound complex, characteristics of the main categories of material
culture objects, and suggests a burial date.

The article provides brief information about the discovery of an ancient
amphora handle with a stamp at the Staryi Karier settlement in 2024.
The object was found in the upper part of the excavation, at a depth of 0.3 m.
The identification of the stamp allowed it to be attributed to the second period of stamping of Thasos amphorae, i. e. approx. 364–338 BC. It is interesting to note that no layers from the 4th century BC have been found at the settlement so far. Therefore, it can be assumed that cultural layers from this period will be discovered here in the future (or that this amphora accidentally ended up at the settlement).

La fouille du site conventuel de Romainmotier represente une des premieres opportunites d’etudier une population du Moyen-Age tardif pour la region romande. Dans le cadre de cette etude, la restauration des squelettes, le denombrement et l’attribution des ossements retrouves sans connexions, en reductions ou en vrac, ainsi que la determination du sexe et de l’âge vont permettre de cerner l’effectif et la composition de la population inhumee. Une analyse spatiale de la repartition des individus dans les zones fouillees complete l'etude. Enfin, l’estimation de l’âge moyen au deces des adultes et la restitution de la stature moyenne constitueront les premiers indicateurs des conditions de vie de cette ou ces populations inhumees dans un contexte monacal et seront completes par les informations apportees par l’etude paleopathologique.

Stone as a durable and symbolic material played a central role in the visual culture and social practices of Histrian communities during the last millennium BCE. This paper examines the fragmented stone sculpture from Nesactium (Croatia), focussing on its meaning, function and cultural context. Using the concepts of material agency and object biography, it shows how these monuments, in addition to their monumentality, structured space and belonging, shaped collective memory and social identities as well as ideological forms of expression and representation. Nesactium sculpture thus emerges as a visually articulated social practice with a multi-layered and multifunctional role within the community. Their production testifies to a high level of artisanship and strong links to the Italo-Adriatic cultural sphere.

The 12th and 13th centuries AD witnessed intense transformations across the Eastern
Mediterranean, as the region was reshaped by the Crusades, shifting political powers,
large-scale population movements, and evolving religious and cultural dynamics. These
changes are reflected not only in written sources and material culture, but also in the
ways communities treated their dead. Cemeteries and burial practices offer valuable
insights into the identity, belief systems, social structure, health, and lived experiences of
past populations.
This session brings together researchers working on funerary contexts across the Eastern
Mediterranean—from Anatolia and the Levant to Cyprus and the Aegean—dated to the
12th and 13th centuries. By combining archaeothanatological approaches with
bioarchaeological data, contributors will explore how burial practices varied across
regions and cultures, and what they reveal about the relationships between the living and
the dead. Papers will address a range of themes, including funerary architecture and
spatial organization, body treatment and positioning, evidence of disease or trauma, and
ritual practices associated with death and commemoration.
The session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue between specialists in human
osteology, field archaeology, and cultural history. It highlights the methodological
advances in archaeothanatology and bioarchaeology that allow for more nuanced
reconstructions of past funerary behaviours, as well as broader interpretations of social
identities, religious affiliations, and intercultural contacts in a time of significant
geopolitical change.
By focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean as a zone of interaction, conflict, and
coexistence, this session offers a comparative perspective on how different communities
understood and navigated death and burial in the medieval world. Ultimately, it seeks to
move beyond typological or descriptive studies, encouraging integrated analyses that
place the human body at the centre of archaeological inquiry.
Keywords:
Funerary Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, ancient DNA, Isotopes, Middle Age, Eastern Mediterranean

The Lower Traisen valley has been recognised as one of Austria’s most important La Tène period landscapes. While excavations of cemeteries and settlements continue, only a modest number of sites have so far been thoroughly published and analysed. These analysed sites provide a great opportunity to investigate the processes behind the transition from the Hallstatt to the La Tène period and how the local population adapted to the new cultural influences. As the number of researched sites constantly grew the impression arose that the cemeteries differ typologically from each other, even though they lie within a relatively small area. This study demonstrates that some of these distinctions reflect a minor chronological difference, while others may result from different reasons. Those reasons might include different population groups and a different response to technological change. So far, both theories can be argued. However, together with currently ongoing anthropological and aDNA analysis, as well as the discovery of new sites this article shows what potential the cemeteries of the Lower Traisen valley present for archaeological research and how further evaluations might continue.

Six cremation burials were selected for radiocarbon dating from the burial ground located in sector K6 at the site of Florești–Polus Center (Szászfenes, Cluj County, RO). This data provides valuable, preliminary
insights into the chronological framing of a major archaeological field research in Transylvania, which has been pending publication for the past two decades. More importantly, the association of certain types of vessels with metal finds offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap of relative chronology between the two types of archaeological find-groups.