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Body and Social Order in Middle Bronze Age Transylvania (Central Romania, c. 1900 − 1450 BC)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Nona Palincaş
Nona Palincaş*
Affiliation:
Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology, Romania
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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate body-related beliefs and practices in relation to society in Middle Bronze Age Transylvania (central Romania between c. 1900 and 1450 BC), known as the area of the Wietenberg Culture. The low number of human remains and their treatment (through cremation and fragmentation of inhumed bodies) has been interpreted by some authors as a willingness to do away with the physical body. In contrast to this opinion, I try here to show that quite the opposite was the case. The body not only stood at the centre of a variety of rituals (funerary and otherwise), but it also constituted a powerful means for maintaining social order, providing people with an understanding of their place in the world, as well as renegotiating positions and meanings.

L'objectif de cette étude est d'examiner les croyances et pratiques ayant trait au corps par rapport à la société de l'Âge du Bronze moyen en Transylvanie (Roumanie centrale entre c. 1900–1450 av. J.C.), connue sous le nom de culture de Wietenberg. Le nombre peu élevé de restes humains et leur traitement (e.a. incinération et fragmentation des corps inhumés) ont été interprétés par certains auteurs comme une volonté de se débarrasser du corps physique. À l'encontre de cette idée, j'essaierai ici de montrer qu'en fait il s'agissait du contraire. Le corps se trouvait non seulement au centre d'une variété de rituels (funéraires et autres), mais constituait également un puissant moyen pour maintenir l'ordre social, permettre aux hommes de comprendre leur place dans le monde et renégocier des positions et des significations. Translation by Isabelle Gerges.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Ziel dieses Artikels ist die Untersuchung körperbezogener Glaubensvorstellungen und Praktiken in Bezug auf die Gesellschaft im mittelbronzezeitlichen Transsilvanien (Siebenbürgen/Zentralrumänien, ca. 1900–1450 cal. BC), das in dieser Zeit von der sog. Wietenberg-Kultur eingenommen wurde. Die geringe Anzahl menschlicher Überreste und deren Behandlung (z. B. Verbrennung und Fragmentierung der Bestatteten) wurde von machen Autoren als gezielter Versuch der Abschaffung des physischen Körpers gewertet. Dem widersprechend versucht Verf. aufzuzeigen, dass wohl eher das Gegenteil der Fall war: der Körper stand nicht nur im Zentrum einer Reihe von (Bestattungs- und anderen) Ritualen, sondern er stellte ein wirksames Werkzeug zur Aufrechterhaltung sozialer Ordnung dar, indem er den Menschen das Verständnis ihres Platzes in der Welt vermittelte sowie auch Positionen und Bedeutungen neu verhandelte. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

human bodyinhumationcremationfragmentationritualcosmologysocial ordercorps humaininhumationcrémationfragmentationrituelcosmologieordre socialmenschlicher KörperBestattungVerbrennungFragmentierungRitualKosmologiesoziale Ordnung
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 17 , Issue 2: Special Issue—Body Practices and Concepts in Later Prehistoric Europe , 2014 , pp. 301 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2014 

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