Identification of family in prehistory based on spatial analysis of cemeteries

Prehistoric barrow cemeteries are often structured in spatially separated groups. The formation of these groups was probably caused by a membership of the deceased to particular social units that were buried separately. We test the hypothesis that these groups of Early- and Middle Bronze Age graves represent cemeteries of individual families. We used GIS tools, statistical tests, principal component analysis (PCA) and network analysis carried out using Pajek software to test this hypothesis. This study is based on the assumption that the family cemeteries consist of graves of individuals who had different social status. Our assumption is that the family cemeteries are presented as separated groups of graves. Graves belonging to one group should therefore have different formal properties. Comparing formal and spatial characteristics within the studied cemeteries, some groups of graves were identified; these consist of graves with different burial assemblages. Our conclusion is that this finding supports the hypothesis that the spatially separated groups of graves represent cemeteries belonging to different families