RITUAL COMPLEXES ON THE BURIAL MOUNDS OF THE IRMEN CULTURE

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the classification criteria and the possible explanations of accompanying ritual complexes from the barrow burial grounds of the Irmen culture. A few variants of classification are supposed: based on either the location, or the content (structure), or the ritual action. The location of the ritual complex remains provides an indication when the ceremony took place. The complex composition gives the opportunity to differentiate the oblation and funeral feast remains. The traces of various actions (embedment, combustion, damage to the things) evidence the ritual character of the complex. The materials of 16 barrow burial grounds permitted to define the different types of ritual complexes: in the ditches, in the sacrificial pits, in the earth fills of the barrows. These complexes are associated with various structural elements of the funeral and memorial ritualism: burial space organization, oblations in the course of the mortuary affairs and the memorial feasts upon their completion.

Keywords

• bronze age
• irmen culture
• ritual complexes
• funeral rite