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Based on a study of animal bone finds from the Únětice Culture cemeteries (2200–1700 BC) in Bohemia, Czech Republic, the study analyses selected aspects of the funeral rite in the Early Bronze Age in Central Europe. The focus is on unworked and unburned cattle, pig, sheep/goat and red deer scapulae, phalanges (+ some astragali) and ribs—significant burial phenomena in the Únětice Culture—determined as undoubtedly intentional components of funerals, that is, as grave goods. Radiocarbon and other evidence show that the phenomena existed for the whole of the Únětice Culture and perhaps longer. The presence of scapulae in 41% of the graves in the cemetery at Mikulovice and tens of other cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia, and the complete domination of phalanges among the animal bones in graves in the funerary area at Vliněves provide evidence of the importance of these customs in the funerary rite. Rib cuts certainly represent meat offerings but the meaning of isolated (unarticulated) scapulae and phalanges/astragali is difficult to determine. The hypothesis that scapulae found always singly could also be real meat offerings is difficult to accept, so further roles, whether practical or symbolic, should be considered. An earlier suggestion that scapulae were used as a trowel for digging grave pits is highly improbable, as follows from our analysis, and we were unable to confirm the use of the flat scapula as a plate for other offerings or a base for paintings. The choice of the (near-triangular) scapula to symbolise the triangle must be left in the realm of speculation. Unworked and variably positioned phalanges and astragali are unlikely to have been used for clothing or hair decoration but, based on analogies, might have been used in magic or games (amulets, tokens, dice, game pieces). The possible use of scapulae and phalanges + astragali in divination is considered in the light of ethnographic and historical records of scapulimancy and astragalomancy on four continents. As scapulae and phalanges do not usually appear together in a single grave, they could represent attributes of different social groups or statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuity of occupation at the settlement of Prague, Czech Republic, from the ninth to fourteenth centuries makes it a good case study for investigating the evolution of animal husbandry practices during the Early and High Middle Ages. Previous archaeozoological work shows that people’s dietary behaviour in Prague underwent a transformation at the beginning of the High Middle Ages (thirteenth century). This change has been attributed to large-scale socioeconomic transformations, which may have affected animal management practices. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis of the tooth dentine collagen of livestock (cattle, domestic pigs, sheep and goats) from three different areas in Prague (the Lesser Town, Prague Castle and the Old Town) presented in this study provides support for this hypothesis. The range of stable isotope values increased over time, which may, in addition to a farm-household model, indicate a more advanced system of livestock supply–for example, through urban markets–and may also be explained by more diversified breeding conditions in the town and its surroundings. The results show an increase in the δ15N values in pig diet over time and suggest that their management changed. This difference may have been caused by increased animal protein intake or higher δ15N value of the dietary sources. It has also been corroborated that the root dentine collagen of High Medieval cattle has slightly higher average δ15N values when compared to cattle from the earlier period, which could be related to gradual changes in landscape utilization and soil processing, such as fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to analyse the correlation between finds and ditches, the duration of ditch fills, and the manner of the demise of Late Neolithic rondels (Kreisgrabenanlagen) in the Czech Republic. Two comparable long-term projects are discussed here: Kolín (central Bohemia) and Vchynice (northwest Bohemia). Qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analyses of the different categories of finds (pottery fragments, lithics, daub, and faunal remains) from the ditch fills show that only finds from the bottom layers of the ditches were contemporary with the primary function of the rondels. However, the bottom layers often only contained a few artefacts. The richest parts of the ditches, the middle and upper layers, from both sites illustrated similar characteristics: after the rondels lost their primary function, the ditches were filled by both natural and cultural agents over a long period. As a consequence, some previous, and widely accepted, interpretations of the relationship between individual areas of rondels and their relationship with surrounding features, as well as the relationship of the finds from ditch fills to rondel function and chronology, need to be revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]