The Archaeological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the University of Kiel’s Dr. The joint expedition led by Ivan Heben explores one of the largest Stone Age settlement complexes in Central Europe, discovered in the small southern town of Vrable. Slovakia for the seventh season.

Covering an area of ​​approximately 50 hectares, this monument is dated by archaeologists to the Neolithic age, approximately 5250-4950 BC. A detailed geophysical survey of the settlement made it possible to reveal the remains of more than 300 long houses. At the same time, according to the estimates of researchers, the number of such residential buildings can reach 50-70 pieces at each stage of the existence of the settlement. In addition, the settlement was surrounded by a moat and fence.

Cleared plan of one of the settlement entrances / I. Cheben, AÚ SAV

Archaeologists stated that they found burials in the settlement in previous seasons. But this year they dug a trench with a large deposit of human bones. According to the researchers, at least there were remains inside. 35 people. According to anthropologist Zuzana Hukelová of the Institute of Archeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the bodies of the dead were first buried in different positions, for example, on their back, on their stomach, on their side, and in the frog position. . he noted the skulls of almost all of these people are missing – archaeologists have found only one that belonged to a child. According to preliminary estimates, most of these people were young.

Gradual skeleton excavation M. Ruttkay, AÚ SAV

With the help of additional research, scientists hope to find out why all these people fell into a common grave. They may have been victims of mass violence, an epidemic of epidemics, or they may have been sacrificed as part of a ritual. The researchers also aim to determine how these people are genetically related to each other and when they got rid of their skulls. In addition to this mass burial, archaeologists discovered a punctured human tooth that may have been part of an amulet.

Other similar excavations

Ancient mass graves with victims of epidemics, ritual murders or other similar events are extremely rare. Similar objects from the Neolithic period are known in Europe.

• So, in Germany, during excavations in Thalheim, archaeologists discovered a pit about three meters long, in which the remains of 18 adults and 16 children who died a violent death, as evidenced by numerous injuries, were found. This object belongs to representatives of the linear strip ceramic culture and dates back to about 4900-4800 BC.
• Another mass burial specimen of the same culture (Asparn-Schletz) was discovered by archaeologists in Austria. There, in a ditch surrounding the settlement, researchers found the remains of 67 people killed between 5207 and 4849 BC.

• Examples of mass graves without visible signs of violence are also known – for example, the settlement in Mannville in France or the Wiederstadt monument in Germany.
• The mass grave of the global amphora culture, discovered in 2011 near the Polish village of Kosice, also draws attention. There, archaeologists unearthed the remains of 15 men, women, and children who died around 2880-2776 BC. Anthropologists found that all these people were killed by blows to the head. Palaeogenetic analysis showed that the remains belonged to seven women and eight men who were in a family relationship. Moreover, those who hid them knew this. They put the bodies of close relatives next to each other, for example, mothers and sisters with children.