FENIKS Z POPIOŁÓW, CZYLI O SENSACH CIAŁOPALENIA W CZASACH PÓL POPIELNICOWYCH
PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES OR THE MEANINGS OF CREMATION IN THE TIME OF URNFIELD CULTURES

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

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