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The "Mental" in Monumental : Battle Axe Culture in megalithic tombs in southern Sweden

Olausson, Deborah LU orcid (2014) p.261-274
Abstract
It is reasonable to consider that those who arranged the material accoutrements of mortuary practices, i.e. the burial, were making a more or less conscious statement about cultural identity. At least we archaeologists usually assume this to be so. An interesting case can be found in the mortuary practices ascribed to the Battle Axe culture from the later Middle Neolithic1 (2800–2350 cal BC) in southern Scandinavia. When we look at burials which we archaeologists ascribe to the Battle Axe culture we can identify several variations: flexed inhumation of a single individual in a stone-lined pit (referred to as flat-earth burial), flexed inhuma- tion of multiple individuals in a stone-lined pit, and cremation burial. Additionally, we often... (More)
It is reasonable to consider that those who arranged the material accoutrements of mortuary practices, i.e. the burial, were making a more or less conscious statement about cultural identity. At least we archaeologists usually assume this to be so. An interesting case can be found in the mortuary practices ascribed to the Battle Axe culture from the later Middle Neolithic1 (2800–2350 cal BC) in southern Scandinavia. When we look at burials which we archaeologists ascribe to the Battle Axe culture we can identify several variations: flexed inhumation of a single individual in a stone-lined pit (referred to as flat-earth burial), flexed inhuma- tion of multiple individuals in a stone-lined pit, and cremation burial. Additionally, we often interpret the presence of Battle Axe artefacts and/or radi- ocarbon dates falling within this period in mega- lithic tombs as evidence that burial in such tombs was also part of the Battle Axe mortuary repertoire. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Megalithic tomb, Battle Axe culture, mortuary practices
host publication
Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic
editor
Furholt, Martin ; Hinz, Martin ; Mischka, Doris ; Noble, Gordon and Olausson, Deborah
pages
261 - 274
publisher
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der CAU Kiel / Habelt
ISBN
978-3-7749-3882-3
project
Burial in the Battle Axe Culture - a theme with many variations
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung : DFG Schwerpunktprogramm 1400. Band 4
id
e1ef4f28-1535-4607-80ad-7b4a52864743 (old id 4610225)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:41:48
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:06:36
@inbook{e1ef4f28-1535-4607-80ad-7b4a52864743,
  abstract     = {{It is reasonable to consider that those who arranged the material accoutrements of mortuary practices, i.e. the burial, were making a more or less conscious statement about cultural identity. At least we archaeologists usually assume this to be so. An interesting case can be found in the mortuary practices ascribed to the Battle Axe culture from the later Middle Neolithic1 (2800–2350 cal BC) in southern Scandinavia. When we look at burials which we archaeologists ascribe to the Battle Axe culture we can identify several variations: flexed inhumation of a single individual in a stone-lined pit (referred to as flat-earth burial), flexed inhuma- tion of multiple individuals in a stone-lined pit, and cremation burial. Additionally, we often interpret the presence of Battle Axe artefacts and/or radi- ocarbon dates falling within this period in mega- lithic tombs as evidence that burial in such tombs was also part of the Battle Axe mortuary repertoire.}},
  author       = {{Olausson, Deborah}},
  booktitle    = {{Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic}},
  editor       = {{Furholt, Martin and Hinz, Martin and Mischka, Doris and Noble, Gordon and Olausson, Deborah}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-7749-3882-3}},
  keywords     = {{Megalithic tomb; Battle Axe culture; mortuary practices}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{261--274}},
  publisher    = {{Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der CAU Kiel / Habelt}},
  title        = {{The "Mental" in Monumental : Battle Axe Culture in megalithic tombs in southern Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5833787/8506475.pdf}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}