The early medieval culture of the Prussians: exploring distinctive features of the funerary rite (bioarchaeological aspect)

The paper explores some distinctive features of the funerary rite typical for the early medieval culture of the Prussians based on the studies of cremated remains. The paper is focused on the human remnants retrieved by the authors during the excavations of the Kulikovo/Sorthenen cemetery (Zelenograd district of the Kaliningrad region). The results are compared with the expertise data on cremated remains from other ground cemeteries in the Kaliningrad peninsula. The data from the comprehensive study of the materials from the graves help establish the continuity of funerary traditions among the Prussians in the period from the 6th-8th centuries to the 11th-13th centuries.