In addition to the red ochre coating, the remains in two large graves in Serbia exhibit unusual height, indicating they migrated from elsewhere.
A team of scientists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAEPAN) discovered unusual remains in large burial mounds in northern Serbia, as reported by Ancient Origins on February 24.
Reconstruction of the burial chamber of an immigrant to Serbia thousands of years ago. (Photo: PAP)
The deceased exhibited notable height and their bones were coated with red dye made from clay. Based on extensive research, the archaeologists from IAEPAN determined that they died nearly 5,000 years ago and likely belonged to a group of migrants from the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine to ancient Serbia.
The research team focused on two prominent burial mounds located in the autonomous region of Vojvodina. These mounds have a diameter of about 40 meters and a height of 3 to 4 meters. Inside each mound are two wooden burial chambers. When the first remains were buried around 3000 BC, the chambers were still relatively small. 100 to 200 years later, when the second grave was dug, their diameter and height had significantly increased.
Although the chambers inside each mound are quite spacious, their design is quite basic. Grave goods are minimal, often indicating that the deceased were neither wealthy nor powerful.
“The graves we discovered do not contain many items. However, the red color of some bone sections is striking. This is due to ancient people using ochre to cover the bodies of the deceased,” said Dr. Piotr Wlodarczak, the lead researcher.
Additionally, another remarkable aspect is the stature of those buried in the grave. They were taller than 1.8 meters, a height that was uncommon among ordinary Europeans during the Bronze Age. The Polish research team concluded that this might be due to their origins from another region.
“During the transition between the 4th and 3rd millennium BC, people in this area of Europe typically stood around 1.6 meters tall. The use of ochre and the above-average height of the deceased suggest they were immigrants. The ritual of using ochre and placing the remains in large mounds is associated with communities living in the eastern European steppes,” Dr. Wlodarczak explained.
Gene analysis of the remains excavated from the graves in Serbia has helped confirm they were immigrants from the east, or descendants of those who migrated from the Ukraine area or southern Russia.
Isotope analysis conducted on the bones has also revealed some information about the lifestyle of the deceased. For example, they consumed a significant amount of meat. “We are not surprised that they consumed large quantities of meat, as these communities were all herders,” Dr. Wlodarczak explained.
The deceased likely belonged to the Yamnaya culture, according to Dr. Wlodarczak. Several Yamnaya graves discovered in recent years contained numerous weapons, intricate ornaments, pottery, and other grave goods suitable for elite burials.
The burial mounds in Vojvodina are the westernmost Yamnaya graves ever discovered. Although the individuals buried within do not appear to belong to the elite, they were still respected and given appropriate farewell rituals, adorned with sacred red ochre to ensure their safe passage across the boundary to the afterlife.
