Modlniczka – the first cemetery of the Linear Pottery Culture in Poland in light of interdisciplinary analyses

Abstract The discovery of the first LBK cemetery, and a cremation one at that, is an exceptional fact not only for Poland, but also for the entire eastern edge of this culture. This discovery has significantly enriched our knowledge of the LBK burial rites, as until recently only individual graves and small burial complexes within or on the outskirts of settlements were known from the area of Poland. Therefore, it was particularly important to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary research and to analyse this extraordinary discovery in light of the obtained results. This allows us to put the Modlniczka cemetery in the context of other similar LBK sites in Europe. Most of the specialist analysis results presented here were conducted for the first time for LBK cremation burials. Therefore, they are unique and can serve as a benchmark. The conclusions arising from this interdisciplinary approach are extremely interesting, both in terms of grave furnishings and the reconstruction of the funerary rites themselves.