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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The necropolis of Ensisheim/Reguisheimerfeld (Haut-Rhin) : illustration of the Late Bronze Age funerary practices in Alsace

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description

In 2000, the preventive excavation of the Ensisheim/Reguisheimerfeld site (Haut-Rhin), carried out by the ANTEA SARL company, brought to light 87 funerary structures belonging to a cremation necropolis dating from the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (around 1350-1050 BC). Following study of the material, 3 successive chronological phases and a possible cultural "faciès" centred on the bend in the Rhine at Basel, Switzerland, were distinguished. The archaeo-anthropological study of the burnt bones revealed, among other things, the existence of a large number of multiple graves and of socially immature members of the society, phenomena rarely observed in the region. The analysis of the internal and external architecture of these structures suggested the existence of closure systems consisting of a perishable element surmounted by a small tumulus. In addition, the number of vases deposited in the graves increased over time. The spatial analysis of the necropolis revealed the existence of a reserved circular area, suggesting a topographic development structured by perpendicular axes. A zone reserved for the socially immature members of the society and another for adults were also identified. Thanks to the identification of structures belonging to various stages of the cremation operating chain and to the structured organisation of the necropolis, we can consider this necropolis as a real funerary complex. A careful paleo-sociological study is conducted on the definition of the 4 deposited material groups. The archaeo-thanatologic approach developed here thus updates knowledge about typo-chronology and funerary practices in Late Bronze Age Alsace.