Cave burials

Lapa da Galinha (literally «The chicken’s cave»…) is a typical small cave of the portuguese Estremadura. Located near Alcanena, it was excavated more than a century ago and, at the time, the numerous human remains therein identified have already been removed to the local cemetery and are not available for study and dating. A first note about this cave, very insufficient for the importance of the site, have been presented to the 1st National Congress of Archaeology (Moreira de Sá, 1959). Lapa da Galinha revealed, for the cultural milieu in which it is included, a considerable amount of engraved schist plaques and a rather peculiar «crosier», morphologically resembling an axe. If the «crosier» is so peculiar and unique, also the plaques form a very bizarre ensemble. Most of them are double faced, the motifs and decorative patterns are also peculiar and some present unusual shapes for the area of Estremadura – disclosing possible cultural influences of other regional areas. The «PLACA NOSTRA» Project shows, for the first time, drawings of all the available plaques and presents some new perspectives on the meaning of the «Lapa da Galinha connection»...

We present a preview of the archaeological activity carried out in August 2007 and a descriptive study of the material culture and human remains recovered at the so-called Cueva de los Cuarenta (Las Lagunillas, Priego de Córdoba, Andalusia), a natural cave where different burial contexts from Late Neolithic have been documented. These rich contexts, which have remained virtually intact to date, consist of skeletal remains from approximately forty persons, deposited with some furnishing elements, including pottery and lithic artefacts. Evidence of probable trepanation in several individuals enhances our knowledge about such practice in Prehistory. This site is undoubtedly one of the best examples of burial caves from Late Prehistory in Southern Iberia, not only for the amount of archaeological remains, but also for their high preservation. The exterior of the cave was used as a clandestine workshop by coin counterfeiters in the seventeenth century.

Contribution to the definition of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic burial practices in the  Estremadura Limestone Massif. 1: morpho-typological study of two engraved schist plaques from the cave of Buraca da Moura da Rexaldia (Chancelaria, Torres Novas)

Hoping to contribute to a better definition of 'cave megalithism'
in the area of Portuguese Estremadura, we analyze two engraved schist plaques collected in the cave of Buraca Moura da Rexaldia, whose morpho-typological characteristics fit into the funerary practices of ancient peasant communities from the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic of the
Estremadura Limestone Massif.

The Middle to Late Neolithic transition in NE of Iberian
Peninsula is characterized by changes in mortuary
practices and grave goods. In the Middle Neolithic single primary burials are associated with grave goods of variscite
beads, honey-colored flint blades and occasionally
obsidian. During the Late Neolithic these are replaced
for collective inhumations in cave and rock-shelters with
grave goods composed mainly by shell, bone and stone
beads and pendants, large flint blades and flint daggers,
some from outside the Iberian Peninsula. Cova de l’Avi
represents the earliest site (c. 4700 BP) at which these
changes in mortuary practice have been documented.

Este trabajo presenta las espadas de hierro procedentes de la necrópolis de Son Pellisser (Calviá–Mallorca). Aunque el número de materiales recuperados es elevado y continúan en fase de estudio ofrecemos un avance pre-liminar sobre tres espadas de importación, localizadas entre los ajuares, así como su posible origen y vía de intro-ducción en la isla. Estas armas constituirían la primera evidencia arqueológica de la participación de mercenarios baleáricos en las Guerras de Sicilia, entre cartagineses y griegos, desde el siglo V a. n. e.

This paper submits the iron swords from the necropolis of Son Pellisser (Calvià-Majorca). Although the materials that we find are numerous and still under research offer a preliminary study about three imported swords, found in burial objects, also their possible origin and way of introduction on the island. These weapons could be the first archaeological evidence that the Balearic mercenaries participated in the Wars of Sicily, between Carthaginians and Greeks, from the fifth century BC.

Résumé
Ce travail vise à étudier les restes humains retrouvés dans la grotte n° I des Avins à Clavier dans la province de Liège. Ce site fut longtemps considéré dans les publications comme un « Ossuaire type Champs d’Urnes ». Des datations C14 effectuées à l’IRPA ont toutefois montré qu’une partie des restes remontait au Néolithique moyen et au Néolithique récent. Nous avons replacé le site dans son contexte Néolithique et plus particulièrement dans celui du Bassin mosan.Différentes méthodes anthropologiques ont été utilisées et ont permis de déterminer le nombre minimum d’individus (NMI), leur sexe, leur âge au décès ainsi que leur stature. La grotte n° I des Avins contenait au moins six individus adultes et quinze individus juvéniles. Les deux sexes sont re-présentés et toutes les catégories d’âge sont présentes. Des particularités anatomiques et quelques pathologies ont également été observés. Les caractères discrets tels que les os surnuméraires, les incisives « en pelle » et les tubercules de Carabelli, indiquent sans doute un lien de parenté entre certains de ces individus.Sur base d’informations stratigraphiques et de l’identification de la répartition des restes humains dans le site, nous avons pu montrer que la grotte n° I des Avins était une sépulture collective de type primaire qui a fait l’objet de prélèvements de certains types d’os. L’étude de la faune et de la taphonomie du site ont également été abordées.

Summary
This work aims to study the human remains found in the cave I of the Avins, in Clavier in the pro-vince of Liège. This site was considered for a long time in the publications as an “Ossuaire type Champs d’Urnes”. However,14C dates from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage have shown that some of the remains date from to the Middle Neolithic and the Late Neolithic. We have situated the site in its Neolithic context and more particularly in that of the Mosan Basin.Different anthropological methods were used to determine the minimum number of individuals (NMI), their sex, age at death, and their stature. The cave I of the Avins contained at least six adults and fifteen juveniles. Both sexes are represented and all classes of age are present. Anatomical particularities and some pathologies have also been observed. Discrete traits such as wormian bones, shovel shaped incisors and Carabelli’s traits probably indicate a kinship between some of these individuals.On the basis of stratigraphic information and the identification of the distribution of human remains in the site, we were able to show that the cave number I of the Avins was a collective burial of primary type in which some types of bones were collected. The study of fauna and taphonomy of the site were also discussed.

El hallazgo entre 2011 y 2014, en las excavaciones de los niveles postcardiales del Neolítico Medio I de la cueva de Can Sadurní (Begues, Barcelona), de la constatación de un uso funerario de la cavidad, con un relativamente estructurado ritual en la segunda mitad del quinto milenio que ha permitido establecer un modelo funerario, permite hacer participar de dicho modelo a los yacimientos sepulcrales en cueva del nordeste peninsular adscritos, tradicionalmente, al llamado grupo de Montboló del Neolítico Medio I.
Por su parte la excavación y posterior publicación de los hallazgos en la necrópolis al aire libre de Sant Pau del Camp, ya en el último cuarto del quinto milenio, atestiguan el traslado de los centros de interés y de producción a los llanos litorales y prelitorales y la evolución de ese modelo funerario hacia un modelo de necrópolis de enterramiento individualizado, al aire libre, manteniendo aún, no obstante, muchos de los elementos rituales y formas funerarias anteriores.

Palabras clave: Neolítico Medio I, uso funerario en cueva, ritual, modelo funerario, evolución.

The Lapa do Sono cave (Sesimbra, Portugal), was identified in 2005 during a speleological survey. It was apparently intact at the time of its discovery. During that work, the site could be classified as a Prehistoric burial cave, as some human bones (including a complete skull) and pottery sherds were found. A detailed analysis of the latter and the 14C of the skull confirm its classification in the regional late Early Neolithic.
This paper presents a preliminary description and characterization of this context, which will constitute the basis for further archaeological field work