Identifying the original function of vessels deposited in Lusatian Urnfield burials: the case of the Czernikowice cemetery (Poland)

Abstract

Abstract Usage patterns are one of the leading research issues in archaeological pottery studies. Non-cinerary vessels deposited in burials of the Lusatian Urnfield are particularly intriguing since they did not typically undergo detailed functional analysis. Their function has usually been determined based on the shape and surface treatment. Thus, grave pottery is widely regarded to have been explicitly fashioned for mortuary practices and not used for other purposes. It applies particularly to ceramic items other than containers, such as zoomorphic vessels, figurines, and rattles, which must have played a significant role in funeral ceremonies. The paper presents the outcome of morphological, stylistic and chromatographic analyses of vessels deposited in the Lusatian Urnfield cremation graves found at site 2 in Czernikowice, Legnica district, Poland. The ceramic items come from well-investigated grave contexts dated to Montelius’ periods IV and V. The results indicate that most of the analysed vessels had contact with substances of vegetal and faunal origin.