This thesis examines the funeral practices of Neolithic communities of the Balkan Peninsula between 6500 and 4500 BC. The focus is on the archaeology and bioarchaeology of death. The aim is to investigate how burial practices changed over time and what they can tell us about the perception of the world, individual identity, and the development of social structures. In the early Neolithic period, burial practices were closely linked to settlements, as burials were largely located beneath dwellings. In the late Neolithic period, there was a noticeable shift towards separate burial grounds, indicating a change in attitudes towards death. This was accompanied by the emergence of new, richer grave goods and greater social and sexual differentiation, indicating the growing complexity of society. Bioarchaeological studies in this thesis are based on skeletal analyses and are limited to the Danube Gorges region. They represent an important source of information that helps us understand the demographics, diet, and health of Neolithic communities. DNA analyses have shown that the Neolithic communities of the Balkan Peninsula are mostly descendants of early Neolithic communities from Anatolia. The exception is the Danube Gorges, where local hunter-gatherer communities came into contact and mixed with new farming communities. Studies indicate an increased incidence of physiological stress in Neolithic communities, which is nevertheless lower than in communities outside the Danube Gorges. Burial practices and related archaeological material are therefore an important source for understanding prehistoric communities and they provide insight into the social structures, identity, and social changes of communities, as well as their symbolic beliefs.
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