Between 4200 and 3600 BC, in the territories that today correspond to Moldova and Ukraine, the impressive mega-settlements of the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture emerged, considered among the earliest and largest urban concentrations of prehistoric Europe.

These settlements, which could house up to 15,000 inhabitants, have intrigued archaeologists for decades, especially because of their habit of cyclically burning their cities.

However, one mystery stands out above all others: the absence of tombs and human remains corresponding to the numerous people who lived in these places. A recent study published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE by the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1266 in Kiel provides new insights into the lives and possibly the deaths of these communities, based on an exceptional find: bone fragments from just a handful of individuals.

Cucuteni-Tripillia Culture
The archaeological remains of the burnt-down dwelling house, part of the settlement of Kosenivka (Ukraine), where the human skeletal remains were found in the 1980s. Credit: Vadislav Chabanyuk / State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Trypillia Culture”, Legedzyne, Ukraine

The origin of these remains lies in Kosenivka, a small Trypillia settlement located in present-day Ukraine. During excavations in the 1980s, bone fragments from at least seven individuals were discovered in the remains of a house that had been consumed by fire. Some of these bones also showed signs of having been burned.

Decades later, this find has been reanalyzed by an interdisciplinary team from CRC 1266, using modern osteological, paleopathological, and histological techniques, complemented by isotopic, archaeobotanical, and archaeological studies.

Dr. Katharina Fuchs, leader of the subproject and lead author of the study, highlights the importance of these fragments: Bone remains are authentic biological archives; even a small fragment can reveal details about a person’s life history. The finds from Kosenivka represent an invaluable opportunity to advance our understanding of Trypillia societies.

The discovery at Kosenivka is remarkable for its uniqueness. According to archaeologists Dr. Robert Hofmann and Dr. Liudmyla Shatilo, it might represent a cremation, an uncommon funerary practice for that time. However, analyses indicate that fewer than 1% of the deceased underwent such a rite.

Cucuteni-Tripillia Culture
Dr Katharina Fuchs, sub-project leader in the CRC 1266 and first author of the study. Sara Jagiolla / Institute of Prehistoric and Protohostoric Archeology

Additionally, the hypothesis arises that the burns might have resulted from an accident, as microscopic analysis of the bones suggests combustion occurred shortly after death. On the other hand, unhealed cranial fractures found on some remains raise the possibility that violence played a role in these deaths.

The bone remains belong to individuals of different ages and genders, possibly including children, parents, and grandparents, suggesting they might be members of the same family unit. This type of evidence, as noted by Prof. Dr. Johannes Müller, leader of CRC 1266, is extremely rare in prehistoric contexts and allows for more precise reconstructions of the size and structure of ancient populations.

The analysis also provides insights into their lifestyle: the inhabitants consumed a diet primarily based on cereals and vegetables, practiced oral hygiene, and dealt with common ailments such as sinusitis and inflammations.

For Dr. Fuchs, these findings illustrate the challenges of understanding how these communities managed to coexist in large clusters 6,000 years ago. Despite the progress, many questions remain unanswered, keeping expectations high for future discoveries.

SOURCES

Kiel University

Fuchs K, Hofmann R, Shatilo L, Schlütz F, Storch S, Chabanyuk V, et al. (2024) Life and death in Trypillia times: Interdisciplinary analyses of the unique human remains from the settlement of Kosenivka, Ukraine (3700–3600 BCE). PLoS ONE 19(12): e0289769. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289769

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