Red deer (Cervus elaphus) skeleton from the Early Bronze Age pit at Brandýs (Czech Republic)

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985912%3A_____%2F18%3A00460010" target="_blank" >RIV/67985912:_____/18:00460010 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-016-0344-x" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-016-0344-x</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-016-0344-x" target="_blank" >10.1007/s12520-016-0344-x</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) skeleton from the Early Bronze Age pit at Brandýs (Czech Republic)

Original language description

The finding of a male red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) skeleton at Brandýs nad Labem (Central Bohemia, Czech Republic) dated to the Únětice culture (Early Bronze Age), radiocarbon dated to 1881-1679 cal BC (P 93%), unique in the region, was analysed archaeozoologically. The depositing of a whole, unbutchered and entirely undamaged, but curled up body of a stag in a relatively small pit dug into the bottom of a large storage pit undoubtedly had some kind of special meaning or significance. It is interpreted as the burial of a ritually sacrificed beast. The deer male aged 2.5-3 years, with a withers height ca 129 cm, was in good health and had well-developed antlers. The stagmost probably died between January and April, probably more towards the spring, but exactly how it died is unclear. The ritual appears to have been quite complex since it included a fire at the bottom of the storage pit. Deposition in a place designed for storage could suggest a ceremony relating to a sacrifice for prosperity and a good harvest. Despite a lack of evidence for the use of deer in rituals and the symbolic sphere during the Bronze Age, deer burials and the symbolic significance of the stag are known from other archaeological cultures and ethnicities. Interestingly, the entire foreleg of a younger red deer (aged 4-7 months), an isolated humerus of another young fawn (0.5-2 months) and the remains of two dog puppies (3.5-4.5 months) were present in upper horizons of the storage pit, which could also have a special meaning.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

60102 - Archaeology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

ISSN

1866-9557

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

10

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

18

Pages from-to

157-174

UT code for WoS article

000422995900012

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85040737450