Animal Burials in the Early Bronze Age in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The animal burials have been discovered in a great quantities throughout the Early Bronze Age over a wide East-Central European area. This phenomenon is a continuation of the Neolithic Age tradition. Animal burials are divided into several different types, however we can distinguish two general forms: individual animal burials and connected with human graves. After consideration of the types of the graves, additional grave goods, orientation of the dead animals, species, number, age and sex of the individuals, and comparison the foregoing data with the consumption habits, Author is convinced of an offering character of this kind of ritual practices.