New temporal dimensions of the Linearbandkeramik cemetery horizon in Schwetzingen (Germany)

Neolithic cemeteries were traditionally envisaged as long-lasting with consistent burial rates. This view is challenged by Bayesian modeling of 50 new 14C dates from the Linearbandkeramik cemetery at Schwetzingen (Germany), compared with other Central European funerary data. Results show that these cemeteries were in use simultaneously across regions, refuting the idea of them being long-lived and suggesting new interpretations for Early Neolithic social history in Europe.