| Abstract [eng] |
This thesis is dedicated to the analysis and interpretation of changes in burial customs in the western part of the Southeastern Baltic Region during the Early Metal Period. The first wave of cremation of the deceased and burial mounds spread in the region during this period. This work involves: the collection of data and the creation of a database of burial sites; the establishment of a classification of burial mounds; the determination of the beginning, end and duration of the first cremation custom in the region; the analysis of the relationship between cremations and inhumations and the grave goods found in burials; and an interpretation of possible reasons for changes in these burial customs and their links with other processes and regions in this period. This study demonstrates that few cases of cremation of the deceased occurred in the region in the Early Bronze Age – between 1600 (1700) and 1500 BC. The custom of cremation spread and became the predominant tradition in the Late Bronze Age, and lasted until the end of Pre-Roman Iron Age. During this period, the number of artefacts in cremation burials decreased compared to the number of grave goods in inhumation burials. The earliest cremation practices may have developed independently of one another as a result of internal changes. In the Late Bronze Age, cremation became widespread not only in this region, but also in large parts of Europe. This new custom in the western part of the Southeastern Baltic region can be associated with influences from Central Europe and Scandinavia. |
