Scientific article
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English

Funerals During the Second Iron age: A Newly Discovered Sepulchral Ensemble Reveals Practices in Western Switzerland (Pré-Du-Stand, Geneva)

Published inJournal of Anthropological and Archaeological sciences, vol. 4, no. 5, p. 562-586
Publication date2021
Abstract

During preventive archaeological excavations at the site of Pré-du-Stand in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2015 and 2016, four cremations dating to the middle La Tène period (La Tène C2/200-150 BC) were found. This discovery sheds light on Second Iron Age societies, which remain poorly understood to this day. Analysis based on existing anthropological knowledge and funerary artefacts suggest these structures represent a female grave, two warrior graves, and a deposit of charcoal and burned human bones. On the Swiss Plateau, the beginning of the Second Iron Age (LTA2-LTC2/425-150 BC) is characterised by inhumation necropolises. Cremation, meanwhile, disappears until 150 BC, when it makes a comeback. The recent discoveries made at Pré-du-Stand push back the appearance of cremations to the La Tène C2 period around 200 BC, and bear witness to the presence of two male tombs, a rare occurrence in the funerary context for this period.

Keywords
  • Archéologie
  • Préhistoire
  • Suisse
  • Genève
  • Age-du-Fer
  • Second-Age-du-Fer
  • La Tène
  • Sépultures
  • Crémations
  • archeology
  • prehistory
  • Geneva
  • cremations
  • Switzerland
  • Iron Age
  • burials
Funding
  • Autre - OFROU - Office fédéral des routes
Citation (ISO format)
BESSE, Marie et al. Funerals During the Second Iron age: A Newly Discovered Sepulchral Ensemble Reveals Practices in Western Switzerland (Pré-Du-Stand, Geneva). In: Journal of Anthropological and Archaeological sciences, 2021, vol. 4, n° 5, p. 562–586.
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
  • PID : unige:153804
ISSN of the journal2690-5752
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123downloads

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Creation09/08/2021 14:22:00
First validation09/08/2021 14:22:00
Update time16/03/2023 01:01:40
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