A exceptional Early Bronze Age grave with tin beads from Bavaria

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Carola Metzner-Nebelsick
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2014 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 258878232

The project focusses on a rich Early Bronze Age female burial (BA A1 after Reinecke) from Schwabmünchen near Augsburg in Bavaria, which represents a so far unique find context. Next to a rich jewelry equipment the female individual was adorned with tousands of tiny tin beads, sewn on pieces of garnment.. Since tin artefacts are extremely rare in Bronze Age, especially Early Bronze Age Europe the tin-isotopes of the beads from Schwabmünchen as well as from another contemporary grave from Buxheim in Bavaria shall be analysed.Since tin does not occur in southern Central Europe, additional stable isotope-analyses of the human bone material (Strontium 86-Sr, 87-Sr) will be made in order to discern a local or non-local origin of the individuals.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants