Rituals on the move? Unusual dietary habits among non-local elite female “priestesses” at the Hallstatt period cemetery of Modřice, Czech Republic
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Dietary analysis using the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of 24 individuals and mobility analysis using the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of 23 inhumations and 24 cremation burials from the Hallstatt period cemetery at Modřice, Czech Republic, revealed variable dietary structures and degrees of mobility connected with the cemetery’s division into separated burial districts. Surprisingly, the lavishly furnished burials of elite females with a likely religious role in the society display some of the lowest dietary proportions of animal protein at the site. Furthermore, their tendency towards non-local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios implies their non-local origins. These characteristics, along with their allocation into the demographically unique burial district II lacking identified male burials, suggest the deliberate and possibly ritual nature of their dietary omission of meats and/or milk products. The typology of the grave goods accompanying the burials of these elite females, and their unusual attire, suggest links to the South-Eastern Pre-Alpine areas, which might be indicative of a larger trend within the Hallstatt culture. Additional isotopically distinct individuals from Modřice are also discussed, including a potential movement of specialists from the Western Hallstatt culture areas.
Source: Research Square
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214801346