Search

Urnfields were the common type of cemetery in the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA) in much of Northwest Europe. Rarely are there clear social or chronological differences between burials apart from changing pottery types. The cemetery of Destelbergen stands out because of the relatively high prevalence of monumental ditches surrounding a selection of graves, indicating a certain status difference between the deceased. Strontium concentrations ([Sr]) combined with radiocarbon (14C) dates and spatial analysis bring to light clear differences between LBA and EIA traditions. The end of the LBA went hand in hand with the abandonment of the oldest part of the cemetery, which new 14C dates demonstrate was strict. Additionally, [Sr] reveal changing diets in individuals buried centrally within monumental ditches. In the EIA these individuals present significantly lower [Sr] than the surrounding burials, potentially the result of a diet richer in animal protein at the expense of plantbased food, a distinction not seen in LBA burials. Even though continuity and equality are reflected in the uniform burial tradition seen within urnfields, this paper’s analyses unlock subtle changes in social attitudes between the LBA and EIA and suggest increasing (dietary) social differentiation in the EIA.

Close to the village of Pulle (N Belgium), six trenches were opened for archaeological research. This resulted in the discovery of a dense spread of traces of human settlement. Only a relatively small number of artefacts was found, but these allowed attributing the traces to habitation during the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. In one of the trenches, the level with the archaeological finds was covered by a drift-sand dune. The accumulation of these aeolian sediments presumably put an end to the human occupation. Hence, dating these sediments might provide essential information as to the chronology of the occupational history of the site. Quartz-based optical dating was applied to constrain the timing of sand-drifting at Pulle. All samples showed satisfactory luminescence characteristics and yielded an internally consistent set of optical ages. Within analytical uncertainty, the age results show no increase with depth and do not allow differentiating between distinct phases of sand-drifting. An average age of 1.2 ± 0.1 ka was obtained, which is interpreted as an upper age limit for human occupation at the site. The results also illustrate (the limit on) the time resolution that can be achieved through conventional quartz single-aliquot optical dating techniques; considering these limitations, we conclude that the sand-drifting at Pulle occurred during a single, fairly short event in the Early Middle Ages.