NEW AMS DATES FROM ESTONIAN STONE AGE BURIAL SITES
NEW AMS DATES FROM ESTONIAN STONE AGE BURIAL SITES

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses radiocarbon dates of 17 skeletons excavated from ten Stone Age burial sites in Estonia. The skeletons, dated by the AMS method in the frames of different research projects in recent years, are presented by burial sites together with detailed descriptions of the graves. The graves are compared with one another and main temporal differences and similarities are introduced. If the obtained results are different from the interpretations valid so far, the credibility of the dates is contemplated on. On the basis of the obtained radiocarbon dates the Estonian Stone Age inhumation graves can be divided into four groups: the Early Neolithic (Veibri II, Tamula VII and Kivisaare IV), the end of the Early Neolithic–the beginning of the Middle Neolithic (Tamula VIII and X), the Middle Neolithic (Tamula I, III, XIX and Kudruküla) and the Late Neolithic (Ardu II, Sope II, Tika, Kunila II, Karlova and Naakamäe). The dates enable following changes in the burial customs during the Neolithic more exactly than before. In addition to the burials within settlement sites also separate burial sites have been established all through the Neolithic. Single burials dominate at that time and the deceased have been buried both in straight supine and flexed positions; however, the composition and number of grave goods vary.

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