The chronology of burial rites at the two hunter-gatherer Stone Age sites of Dudka and Szczepanki in Masuria, NE Poland

The sites of Dudka and Szczepanki yielded rich evidence of the diversified burial rites of the hunter-gathers from the Early Mesolithic to the end of the Late Neolithic. The paper presents the chronological study of the local funeral rites correlated with changes in settlement strategy, which is based on a recently obtained new series of radiocarbon dates for human and dog burials at both sites. The most important is the cemetery at Dudka, which was used mainly in the Para-Neolithic Zedmar culture, between 4300–3500 cal BC. Cemetery was established in a place previously used for interments, since one grave with single female burial (VI-17) is dated to the Late Mesolithic. Interestingly, burials were made there until the end of the Late Neolithic, which is indicated by grave VI-18 dated to c. 2000 cal BC, although the cemetery area was probably settled then, and was no longer the main place dedicated only for funeral rites.