Chronology and development of the Chalcolithic necropolis of Varna I

Abstract

In the following paper, we present the main results of our now completed studies of the Varna I cemetery, based on the excavations undertaken by Ivan Ivanov in the years 1972–1991. The richness of the assemblages is singular in Old World prehistory. To tackle the question of its internal, chronological development, we applied correspondence analysis (CA) to a newly created database that includes the inventories of all presently known graves, symbolic burials and find deposits. The rank order of the seriated inventories was used to establish a CA-based14C-age model for wiggle matching. In combination with topographic observations and social network analysis (SNA), our studies provide a new understanding both of the chronological and spatial distribution of the graves and burial goods, as well as new insights into the social structure, gender roles, individual relationships and ritual practices of the Chalcolithic community.