Archaeologists discovered bones of a bear`s paw in the grave, in which a man with a child was buried approx. 4,500 years ago. It is a surprise for archaeologists — carcasses of domesticated animals were usually placed in burials from that period. The discovery was made near Sandomierz.
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| Credit: Monika Bajka |
In the excavated niche, archaeologists found the dismembered remains of two people — an adult man and a small child. Nearby, in a large hollow, on the bottom of which a fire had been burning, there were animal bones, including the bones of a bear`s paw.
The discovery was made accidentally a few years ago, when a resident of the village of Święcica discovered bones when digging a garage driveway on his property. Archaeologists were called in to examine the prehistoric burial.
In the course of the research, it was found that a large entrance cavity led to the niche proper and served as a place for performing rituals.
«The traces of such rituals include animal bones found in the cavity and traces of burning fire», says archaeologist Monika Bajka, who led the excavations in Święcica in 2012.
In recent months, specialists analysed the discovered bones.
«It turned out that at the bottom of the entrance cavity, before the funerary niche, there was a single cattle bone and an almost complete bear paw. The latter find is completely unique among the late Neolithic graves», says PhD student at the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Rzeszów, Elżbieta Sieradzka.
An osteological analysis was performed by Dr. Mirosława Zabilska-Kunek and Prof. Daniel Makowiecki.
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| Credit: Monika Bajka |
Sieradzka adds that the remains of domesticated animals — mainly cattle and pigs — were usually placed in the graves from this period. «That is why the grave from Święcica provides new data on the rituals of the Neolithic communities», the archaeologist believes.
The bear`s paw bones were found anatomically arranged. According to the researcher, this indicates that they were not feast leftovers, but rather that the paw had been placed in the grave in its entirety.
«The bear`s paw could be an offering for the deceased», she speculates.
The burial comes from the period when writing was not known yet. Therefore, scientists are looking for answers to the question about the significance of placing a bear`s paw in a grave by analysing the customs of peoples who lived more than 100 years ago, for example in Scandinavia. There are known writings of ethnographers on this subject.
«There are many examples of the symbolic meaning of this part of the carcass. In southern Fennoscandia (currently part of Finland and Russia) people believed that fangs, claws, penile bones and bear paws had healing powers, protected cattle from predators and gave their owner the animal`s senses and strength», Sieradzka says. She adds that in Siberia, the function of deterring evil was attributed to amulets made from bear paws.
Among the finds in the grave in Święcica, there were also pig bones, including a jaw. During the late Neolithic period, in some areas, animals played an important role in funeral rituals. Pig jaws are considered one of the most common elements of grave offerings of those communities. Since this part of the carcass has no significant consumer value, researchers are convinced of its ritual significance.
Author: Szymon Zdziebłowski | Source: PAP — Science in Poland [April 26, 2019]
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