Intra-settlement Burials of Vinča Culture at Sajlovo 5 Archaeological Site: Continuity or Change in the Late Neolithic Period?

Abstract

During rescue archaeological excavations undertaken in 2011 due to the construction of a north bypass connecting the town of Novi Sad and the E75 highway, several Neolithic-period skeletal burials were detected on a multilayered site named Sajlovo 5, located near the northwestern perimeter of Novi Sad. Close to 7000 m2 were excavated in 2010 and 2011, revealing the remains of Early and Late Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze Age, Roman, Medieval and Modern Age settlements. The remains from the Late Neolithic period can be attributed to the early traditions of the Vinča material culture. Of the five skeletons discovered on the site, one is radiocarbon dated to the Early Neolithic Starčevo-Körös period, whilst the remaining four were radiocarbon dated to the Late Neolithic Vinča period. This paper discusses their position relative to other period-related finds in the area, attempting to elucidate the funerary practices and rituals at the start of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture.