Funerary practice and grave goods as indicators of gender in the Bronze age necropolises at Mokrin and Ostojićevo (2100-1800 BCE)

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between biological sex, gender, and funerary practices at the bronze age necropolises Mokrin and Ostojićevo in Northern Serbia, focusing on the correlations between grave goods, grave size, body orientation, and sex. Statistical analyses reveal that while certain grave goods show weak to moderate sex-based correlations at Mokrin, they are not reliable predictors of biological sex. In contrast, burial orientation demonstrates a consistent and statistically significant correlation with sex at both sites, suggesting it was highly influenced by gender norms. These findings indicate a complex interplay between gender and social status in Maros funerary customs. The study highlights the need for future research on subadult burials to better understand gender from childhood to adulthood, including questions of rites of passage and social status of boys and girls at Mokrin and Ostojićevo.