Poznan (Poland), 2006. — 215 pp. — (Baltic-Pontic Studies; Vol. 13). — ISBN 83-86094-12-5."The present work elaborates on and complements the extensive study of the Bronze Age of the borderland between the drainages of the Black and Baltic seas (the West and East of Europe) conducted by the Department of Polish Prehistory, Institute of Prehistory, Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU). The work broadens the study project to include research into funeral rites and sums up a stage in my investigations devoted to changes in the funerary systems of societies settling the Northern Pontic Area in the Bronze Age. In the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, this area was settled by groups related to the so-called Catacomb culture (catacomb cultural and historical community) known primarily from grave contexts. The specific character of available source data and the fragmentariness of comments concerning them, focusing mainly on unusual traits, made it necessary to redefine the cultural phenomenon in question.
It was my aim to present the results of interdisciplinary efforts to reconstruct the funeral ritual as part of the circumpontic circulation of cultural patterns and identify it, putting it in a wider perspective, on the level of the ritual cycle and symbols of the belief system. Particularly valuable was also the inclusion of the broad cultural background of the Baltic drainage in the discussion."Contents:
Introduction
History of Research: Catacomb Entity as Studied by Prehistorians
History of Research: Catacomb Entity.
History of Research - Indo-European Perspective.
Indo-European Worldview.
Cultural Situation in the Northern Pontic Area in the Bronze Age
The Cultural Situation in the Northern Pontic Area: Late Encolithic - Middle Bronze Age (3600-1500 BC).
Chronology of Catacomb Entity Phenomena.
The Chronology of Phenomena Related to the Catacomb Entity.
Synchronization with the Chronologies of Selected Cultural Environments Outside the Pontic Area.
On the Beyond - the Scope of Comparative Analysis
Topography.
Systematic Review of Grave Structures.
Corpse Position Typology.
Classification of Ritual Behaviour.
Classification of Grave Goods.
Catacomb Community as a Question of Circum-Baltic References
The Funeral Rites of the Catacomb Entity from the Perspective of Indo-European Mythology
Funeral Space.
Behaviour with Respect to the Deceased’s Body.
Grave Goods and Offerings.
Catacomb Entity Funeral Theory - an attempt at a model approach
Catacomb Entity Range - as identified by funeral data.
Society as Defined by Funeral Context Data.
The Living and the Dead - a funeral as a foretaste of individual’s future fate.
Conclusions
