Human and animal deposits in circular pits of the 5th millennium between the Rhine and the Danube

A new hypothesis suggests that circular grave deposits, characterized by diverse typologies including burials and animal deposits, originated in Central Europe between the Czech Republic and Bavaria during the 5th millennium BCE. These early deposits exhibit a range of practices such as mixed deposits, anatomical segments, and isolated individuals in conventional or non-conventional positions. The phenomenon spread southward into the Upper Rhine Plain and Neckar Valley by the second third of the 5th millennium, likely influenced by the Münchshofen culture. This practice persisted through the Michelsberg culture in Lower Alsace and potentially diffused eastward via the Ludanice group in Slovakia to early Trichterbecherkultur groups. The study proposes a polycentric model for the diffusion of these deposits, challenging the traditional view of a linear spread from Chassean to Danubian regions. The research combines absolute chronology developments, bibliographic analysis, and recent archaeological discoveries to support this reinterpretation.

Lefranc, P., Arbogast, R.-M., Denaire, A., Chenal, F., Féliu, C., & Jeunesse, C. (2019). Human and animal deposits in circular pits of the 5th millennium between the Rhine and the Danube (L. Byrne, Trans.). Gallia Préhistoire, 59, 109–111. https://doi.org/10.4000/galliap.1603