Commingled and Connected. An Eneolithic Mass Grave from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă
Commingled and Connected. An Eneolithic Mass Grave from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă

Summary/Abstract: The Eneolithic mass graves discovered at Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă (Romania) are important for exploring violent conflict in prehistoric communities. To date, over 100 individuals have been unearthed, many of whom exhibit perimortem blunt force injuries to the skull and postcranial skeleton, providing compelling evidence of episodes of aggression.This paper presents the results of a subsequent funerary discovery (Cx01/Trench II/2019), a mass grave containing the skeletal remains of 11 individuals, nine adults (six males, three females) and two non-adults, of which six display perimortem trauma to the cranial region. The archaeological context of the grave is of particular interest, as the individuals were interred in two distinct depositional layers, within a singular event, the first layer being heavily affected by commingling, and a second one, with the individuals in anatomical connection, placed on the margin of the pit. Noteworthy is the presence of grave goods—manifestations of ritual practices, an uncommon find amongst the funerary discoveries from the site.

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