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A farewell to arms: a deposit of human limbs and bodies at Bergheim, France, c. 4000 BC

Chenal, Fanny ; Perrin, Bertrand ; Barrand-Emam, Hélène ; Boulestin, Bruno

In: Antiquity, 2015, vol. 89, no. 348, p. 1313-1330

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    Titre
    • A farewell to arms: a deposit of human limbs and bodies at Bergheim, France, c. 4000 BC
    Auteur
    • Chenal, Fanny. ANTEA-Archéologie, 11 rue de Zurich, F-68440 Habsheim, France (Email: fanny.chenal@inrap.fr; bertrand.perrin@antea-archeologie.com)
    • Perrin, Bertrand. ANTEA-Archéologie, 11 rue de Zurich, F-68440 Habsheim, France (Email: fanny.chenal@inrap.fr; bertrand.perrin@antea-archeologie.com)
    • Barrand-Emam, Hélène. ANTEA-Archéologie, 11 rue de Zurich, F-68440 Habsheim, France (Email: fanny.chenal@inrap.fr; bertrand.perrin@antea-archeologie.com)
    • Boulestin, Bruno. Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199-PACEA-A3P, Anthropologie des populations passées et présentes, Allée Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, CS 50023, F-33615 Pessac Cedex, France
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • Antiquity, 2015, vol. 89, no. 348, p. 1313-1330. Cambridge University Press
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:296693
    Summary
    Between c. 4500 and 3500 BC, the deposition of human remains within circular pits was widespread throughout Central and Western Europe. Attempts at forming explanatory models for this practice have proven difficult due to the highly variable nature of these deposits. Recent excavations at Bergheim in Alsace have revealed a particularly unusual variant of this phenomenon featuring a number of amputated upper limbs. The evidence from this site challenges the simplicity of existing interpretations, and demands a more critical focus on the archaeological evidence for acts of systematic violence during this period