Work

Interdisciplinary Insights Into Ochre Burial Rituals in Eastern Slovakia in the Beginning of the 3rd Millennium bc

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This study investigates ochre from a Yamna culture grave in Michaľany, Eastern Slovakia. Radiocarbon dating resulted in 4330 ± 35 BP, calibrated to 3010–2898 bc . The grave's construction and dating confirm its cultural attribution. SEM and Raman spectrometry identified a red substance as hematite, representing the first evidence of its use in Yamna funerary practices in this region. Geochemical analysis suggests a local origin, likely linked to low‐temperature hydrothermal deposits in the nearby Brehov–Zemplín ore district. This finding provides new insights into ochre's symbolic and practical roles in Yamna funerary traditions.

Source: Archaeometry

DOI: 10.1111/arcm.70041

Authors: Paweł Jarosz, Eva Horváthová, Michał Krueger, Rafał Siuda, Iwona Sobkowiak‐Tabaka, Anita Szczepanek

Institutions: Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, University of Warsaw

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Narodowe Centrum Nauki

Award: G2758086834