urnfield

Urnfield culture refers to a late Bronze Age archaeological culture of Central Europe, roughly dated to 1300–750 BCE. It is named for the characteristic burial practice in which cremated remains were placed in ceramic urns and deposited in cemeteries laid out as fields, hence the term “urn fields.” This practice marks a major shift from earlier inhumation to cremation and shows regional variation in funerary rites, grave goods, and settlement patterns.

Geographic range and chronology: The Urnfield complex spanned much of Central Europe, including the Alpine foreland, the Rhine and Danube regions, Bohemia, Moravia, Saxony, Bavaria, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and western Poland. Dating is regional, but the culture broadly covers the late Bronze Age, culminating in the transition to the early Iron Age.

Material culture and economy: The period belongs to the Bronze Age in its early phases and features bronze tools, weapons, and ornaments alongside pottery. Urn pottery commonly displays comb-impressed, cord-impressed, and geometric decorations. Burial goods vary by region and social status, and the cemeteries indicate increasing social differentiation and long-distance exchange networks.

Burial practices and social structure: Cremation was the predominant practice, with remains placed in urns and laid out in cemeteries that often appear as field-like arrangements, sometimes in rows or clustered groups. Grave goods, where present, suggest emerging social stratification and connections to broader Bronze Age networks.

Relation to later periods: The Urnfield culture is typically viewed as a transitional phase between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in Central Europe, contributing to the development of the early Hallstatt culture.