Burnt human and animal remains from the Late Bronze Age cemetery of Zadovinek near Krsko, Slovenia

At the Late Bronze Age cemetery of Zadovinek near Krsko (SE Slovenia), burnt human remains were found in 14 out of 25 studied graves. The bones are supposed to have been exposed to temperatures of up to 800 degrees C. With regards to the limited quantity of preserved human remains per grave, and the small number of discovered infant graves, the data for Zadovinek are similar to those from other roughly contemporaneous cremation cemeteries in the region. Out of the six graves that allowed for the sex of the deceased to be determined, two were conditionally attributed to females. Three of the graves contained burnt animal remains, with taxonomically identified specimens ascribed to cattle and pig. They most probably represent either symbolic food offerings or magical objects, possibly with apotropaic power.