Burning questions identity and late bronze age, early iron age cremation cemeteries

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Identity and mobility are crucial topics in Bronze Age research, particularly due to the significant increase in long-distance connections during this period. This volume shifts the focus from large-scale research projects to a local level, examining how identities were constructed within individual cemeteries and the role of mobility in burial practices. By employing diverse social theories and natural scientific methods, a new approach is developed to investigate identities within cremation cemeteries, which are often overlooked. This methodology is applied to two case study sites: Vollmarshausen near Kassel and Künzing in Lower Bavaria. The findings provide fresh insights into Late Bronze Age identities, their construction and negotiation, as well as the social structures in which they were situated. The exploration of cremation as a data source highlights the significance of burial forms and grave goods in understanding identity. Overall, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of how identities were shaped and maintained within specific social contexts during the Late Bronze Age.