A Possible Case of ‘Accompanying Dead’ in the Second Half of the 6th Millennium cal BC at Uğurlu/Gökçeada, Turkey

Abstract

Eleven human skeletons were found in a 2m deep circular pit in an open area dating to 5389–5300 cal BC at Uğurlu/Gökçeada. The pit can be considered as a part of the pit tradition frequently seen in Thracian and Balkan prehistory. Its unique contents, however, are discussed in this paper in the scope of possible motivations. An ‘accompanied dead’ hypothesis is offered as the possible motivation of the case based on the contents and depositional details of bodies within the pit. This type of deposition was practiced throughout Europe starting from the early Neolithic through the Chalcolithic.