A histological approach to mortuary variability in Early Bronze Age Transylvania

The shift from the Copper Age (c. 3600–2700 BCE) to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2700–2000 BCE) in Transylvania (Romania) was a period of significant changes in mortuary practices. We combine bone histology with bioarchaeological and archaeological assessments of mortuary variability to better understand the organization and diversity of funerary practices in the region. Bone histology, the study of microscopic structures of connective tissues in bone, can help disentangle complex mortuary programs. In this study we detail histological analyses of burials from two Early Bronze Age cemeteries: Meteș-La Meteșel, an upland cemetery associated with local Transylvanian communities, and Hăpria, a lowland cemetery associated with Yamnaya migrants. We identify the presence of multiple different pathways from death to burial in primary inhumations and secondary inhumations at these sites. The results here provide new insights into the complex process of cultural exchange during a time of social transformation and high human mobility.