In new research Published in a magazine PLoS ONEArchaeologists have investigated exceptional human remains unearthed from the Middle Trypilian site (c. 3700-3600 BC) of Kosenivka in Ukraine.

The Trypilian culture was a Neolithic European culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers in the 5th millennium BC, extending south into modern-day Romania and Moldova and east as far as the Dnieper River.

Also known as the Cucuteni-Trypilian culture, this culture is characterized by advanced agriculture, advanced metallurgy, pottery making, sophisticated architecture, and social organization.

Trypian society was a matrilineal society in which women headed the household, engaged in agricultural work, and manufactured pottery, textiles, and clothing.

Hunting, raising livestock, and making tools were the responsibility of men.

“Despite the huge number of artifacts left behind by the Trypilians, archaeologists have discovered very few human remains,” said Dr Katharina Fuchs from Kiel University and her colleagues.

“Because of this absence, many aspects of the life of this ancient people remain to be discovered.”

Researchers investigated a Trypilian culture settlement near Kosenivka, Ukraine.

This site, which consists of several houses, is unique in the presence of human remains.

The 50 human bone fragments found in the remains of the house were taken from at least seven people, children, adults, men and women, who likely once lived in the house. The bodies of four of them were also badly burned.

Researchers analyzed the carbon and nitrogen content of bones, grains and animal carcasses found at the site and found that meat made up less than 10% of the residents' diet.

This matches teeth found at the scene, which show wear marks indicating chewing on grain or other plant fibers.

That the Trypilian diet consisted largely of plants supports the theory that cattle in these cultures were primarily used to fertilize fields and produce milk rather than for meat production.

“Human bones are a real biological archive,” Dr. Fuchs said.

“The study of Trypilian society and its living conditions in the oldest urban communities in Eastern Europe remains difficult, but our 'Cosembica case' clearly shows that even small bone fragments can be of great help. ”

“By combining new osteological, isotopic, archaeobotanical and archaeological information, we provide excellent insight into the lives, and possibly deaths, of these people.”

Scientists also investigated potential causes of the burns, including fire and unusual forms of burial.

Burnt bone fragments were mainly found in the center of the house, and previous research had assumed that the residents there died in a house fire.

The authors examined the bone fragments microscopically and concluded that the burn probably occurred shortly after death.

In the event of an accidental fire, the researchers suggest that some people could have died from carbon monoxide poisoning even if they had escaped their homes.

According to radiocarbon dating, one of them died in about 19 years. 100 years later. This person's death cannot be related to the fire, but is otherwise unknown.

Two others whose skull injuries have not healed have raised questions about whether violence may have played a similar role.

Examination of Trypilian human bone finds showed researchers that less than 1% of the dead were cremated, and even more rarely buried inside homes.

“Overall, our results point to enormous yet untapped explanatory potential in the rare and poorly preserved bioarchaeological archive of the Cucuteni Trypillia phenomenon,” the scientists concluded.

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K. Fuchs others. 2024. Life and death in the Trypilian period: an interdisciplinary analysis of unique human bones from the Kosenivka settlement, Ukraine (3700-3600 BC). PLoS ONE 19 (12): e0289769;doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289769