Down the Cremation Rabbit hole: multi-faceted approach to the analyses of Late Bronze Age cremated remains from the Netherlands

Barbara Veselka

The analysis of cremated remains has developed significantly over the past decade, allowing to obtain more information on the buried individual and the cremation process. The recent excavation of a large Late Bronze Age urnfield in Steenwijk, the Netherlands, yielded 160 cremation graves. Twenty-five urns were CT scanned. All the graves were osteological analysed and 81 individuals underwent strontium isotope analysis for the evaluation of mobility patterns. The application of CT scanning allowed us to assess the variety in burial rituals and the original position of bones and grave goods. The combined results of osteological and strontium isotope analysis yielded information on age- and sex-related landscape use and mobility patterns. The XRF analysis of one of the grave goods, demonstrated the heavily degraded object to made from copper and zinc, a rare find.

This paper demonstrates how a multi-faceted approach fundamentally increases our understanding of the funerary practices in prehistory, helping us to better understand regional differences and traditions.