Archaeologia Austriaca 102/2018 Zeitschrift zur Archäologie Europas
Journal on the Archaeology of Europe
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Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
A-1011 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2
Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3420, Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400 https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at, e-mail: verlag@oeaw.ac.at |
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DATUM, UNTERSCHRIFT / DATE, SIGNATURE
BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT, WIEN (IBAN AT04 1100 0006 2280 0100, BIC BKAUATWW), DEUTSCHE BANK MÜNCHEN (IBAN DE16 7007 0024 0238 8270 00, BIC DEUTDEDBMUC)
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Archaeologia Austriaca 102/2018 Zeitschrift zur Archäologie Europas
Journal on the Archaeology of Europe
ISSN 0003-8008
Print Edition ISSN 1816-2959 Online Edition ISBN 978-3-7001-8417-1 Print Edition ISBN 978-3-7001-8418-8 Online Edition Archaeologia Austriaca 102 doi:10.1553/archaeologia102
2018, 281 Seiten, zahlr. Farb- und s/w Abb. und Pläne, 29,7x21cm, deutsch-englisch, broschiert € 98,–
Kirsten Mandl,
Friederike Novotny,
Maria Teschler-Nicola,
Estella Weiss-Krejci
S. 135 - 168 doi:10.1553/archaeologia102s135 doi:10.1553/archaeologia102s135
Abstract: It has recently been suggested by British archaeologists and anthropologists that mummification may have been widespread in Bronze Age Europe. This article presents the results of a study that, for the first time, investigates the question of whether the people who inhabited central Europe during the Early Bronze Age treated the bodies of their dead prior to deposition in order to prevent decay and preserve the soft tissue. The study relies on data from the cemetery of Franzhausen I in Lower Austria. The cemetery, excavated between 1981 and 1983, contained 714 Early Bronze Age graves and two pits with human remains. A sample of 22 skeletons from 22 graves was investigated using macroscopic, post-hoc archaeothanatological, and histotaphonomic analyses. Thin sections of the femora of 18 out of 22 individuals show high degrees of microbial tunnelling resulting from extensive putrefaction processes. Thin sections of femora from four individuals show less bioerosion indicating that the microbial invasion accompanying autolysis and decomposition was arrested at an early stage of the taphonomic process. Since the femora of these four individuals are partially discoloured green we lean towards the assumption that the good preservation of the internal bone microstructure was caused by a post-depositional uptake of heavy metals eroding from copper and bronze grave goods, mediated by a coffin environment. Keywords: Funerary customs, mortuary archaeology, mummification, corpse preparation, archaeothanatology, bone diagenesis, histotaphonomy, Early Bronze Age, Lower Austria, Franzhausen I. Published Online: 2018/10/23 12:06:21 Object Identifier: 0xc1aa5576 0x0039ff96 Rights: .
Estella Weiss-Krejci, Barbara Horejs
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Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
A-1011 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2
Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3420, Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400 https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at, e-mail: verlag@oeaw.ac.at |