A Shattered Tomb of Scattered People: The Alvastra Dolmen in Light of Stable Isotopes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37718/CSA.2011.09Keywords:
Megalith, interaction, 14C, Neolithic, Funnel Beaker cultureAbstract
Skeletal remains from the dolmen in Alvastra are ap- proached from the perspective of isotope analyses, providing insights into dietary and residential pat- terns. Radiocarbon dates from the interred individu- als provide evidence of long-lasting burial practices which were still active when the Alvastra Pile Dwell- ing was built. The isotopic record indicates dispersed geographic origins among the buried individuals. It is suggested that Alvastra, with the dolmen as a focal point, was established as a meeting place and sacred space already several centuries before the time of the Pile Dwelling.
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