RITUAL AND IDENTITY IN THE DANISH IRON AGE URNFIELDS
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-03-05

This paper will present the results of a project addressing aspects of Preroman Iron Age identity and socio-cosmology as reflected in the urnfield burial rituals in South-Western Denmark. The project applied in-depth studies of both osteological and archaeological materials from two urnfields in an overall reinvestigation of the Danish urnfield phenomenon. Minute details in burial ritual and the development of the urnfields show the importance placed on group affiliation and relational identity in the Danish Early Preroman Iron Age society. Strict regulation of burial rites, procedure of cremation and the use of burial goods all minimize individual expression, but urns and burial monuments vary with the age of the individual buried. Use of CT-scans and thorough osteological investigation revealed post-internment curation of bones from some graves, suggesting a prolonged interaction with the deceased, while some urns show signs of ritual dismantling during the burial. The study thus shows the potential of further research into the Danish urnfields beyond mere typo-chronological studies.


Author(s): Møller, Niels (Museum Thy)