Animal and Plant Remains from Two Kalenderberg Group (Hallstatt Culture) Cremation Graves in Devín-Záhrady, Slovakia

small, otherwise overlooked, ecofacts. The results of our analysis in the context of contemporary data
show that animals clearly constituted an unambiguous part of funerary ritual activities. Pig, fish, red
deer, cattle and caprines were all exploited at Devín-Záhrady. These animals represented both food and
symbolic offerings, with a preference for pig and fish. Cattle, red deer, pig and caprines astragali found
in grave 2 were all associated with one of the urns. The age of perinatal piglets was used to indicate the
season when the funerals took place. Plant macro-remains are much less common than bone remains
and are not associated with the burial. The results of the analysis change what is known about the array,
quantity and way animal and plant offerings from Kalenderberg Group cremation graves were prepared
for the burial ritual. Their study also permitted residual and intrusive materials to be detected, allowed
reconstruction of the deposit’s formation processes and establishment of the connections (or absence
of connections) between these ecofacts to the funeral and/or burial ritual.