Feniks z popiołów, czyli o sensach ciałopalenia w czasach pól popielnicowych

The development of cremation in Central Europe is related to a broader cultural change in these areas at the turn of the second and third periods of the Bronze Age. The circle of urnfield cultures in a general framework was created in areas where grave cultures had previously developed. The new culture also means an ideological change, which is indicated by the new way of treating the dead. The information and values carried by the cremation ceremony were visualized through fire and props ‒ ceramic urns and other vessels. So, it was a combination of two different traditions. The first one, related to fire, referred to a complex of meanings associated with the glow of heavenly bodies. The second one concerned beliefs about the regenerative power and fertility of the earth. In turn, performative activities undertaken during the funeral, i.e., joint consumption, were intended to establish the status of the mourners. This type of rite conveys very similar content to inhumation in grave cultures.