Bone, antler, and tooth objects from the late bronze/early Iron Age urnfields in south-western Poland

Objects made of osseous materials are extremely rare in the urnfield burial contexts dated in SW Poland to the late Bronze and early Iron Age (ca. 1300–550 BCE). That may be the result of the cremation process which made the bone/antler artefacts fragmented and difficult to distinguish from human bones, usually densely packed in ceramic urns. We compare data about 95 specimens from four urnfields (Dunino [2], Jarząbkowice [1], Wicina [1], Sękowice [5]) and one bi-ritual cemetery (Przeczyce [76]). The analysis of micro traces showed that these usually simple and small objects were manufactured both with flint and metal tools. The observation of their colour and surface alterations suggests they were exposed to high temperatures, probably cremated together with the bodies, and then carefully deposited in the urns.