Current Issues in Archeology: A Diachronic Analyses of Funerary Practices in Macedonia during the 1st Millenium BCE

This lecture investigates shifts insocial structures in the Southern Balkans during the Bronze and Iron Agesthrough an analysis of grave furnishings, including attire, jewellery, andother burial goods such as vessels. By examining the changing patterns in gravegoods across the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, the study reveals diachronictrends that reflect broader societal transformations. An increase in thevariety and quantity of objects placed in graves suggests developing valuesaround identity, status, and inheritance within these communities. This trendmay indicate a growing emphasis on the social roles of individuals and thepreservation of wealth and status across generations. Through the study ofburial practices over the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE, this research sheds lighton the development of complex social hierarchies and offers new insights intothe shifting dynamics of ancient Balkan societies.

Speaker:
Daniela Heilmann (LMU München, RGK DAI Frankfurt a.M.)

The lecture is held in English.