Equality of opportunity is a leitmotif of our Western society, introduced by J.-J. Rousseau in the mid-18th century, and which does not correspond to any old reality. Ancient societies are indeed built on family solidarity and clientelism, not on the fulfilment of each individual's potential. This contribution tries, however, to highlight differences between gender and age classes during the Bronze Age (2200–800 BC) in Central Europe and Northern Italy, based on the data of prehistoric archaeology, which are exclusively material and represent only a small part of the past reality. The evolution of the differentiated status between women, men, children, and young and older people over time seems to be of great historical interest. The burial, despite its ambiguous meaning, is the only context that allows us to identify an individual at the mentioned time span. Therefore, the differences are primarily noticeable in the necropolises. The criteria used in the analysis include the global analysis of each necropolis, the position and architecture of the graves, burial practices, grave goods, sex, age class and eating.