A new death ritual
A new death ritual and a new concept of the afterlife became established in the 13th century BC. The ritual and concept were primarily expressed by the prevalence of the custom of cremation that began at the time.
This cultural transition to the Late Bronze Age was fluid.
Particularly in border regions, such as the Saarland, people never entirely abandoned burials, or else they scattered the cremated ashes in large holes that would have also been able to accommodate an uncremated corpse.
In nearby Losheim am See, such a grave was even covered with a mound in the Middle Bronze Age tradition.
Cremations in cemeteries without any above-ground sepulchral structures were the custom, with valleys and fluvial (river) terraces being the preferred sites.
These cemeteries are no longer visible above ground today and are usually discovered by chance during earthworks.
A golden age for the crafts
Late Bronze Age settlements were also located on fluvial terraces or constructed as hill forts.
The people there generally lived in post-in-ground buildings with a rectangular floor plan and a central hearth.
Farming implements, such as early ploughs in the form of ox-drawn ard ploughs, offer evidence of successful agriculture.
Horses were also kept as livestock – and for consumption.
The Late Bronze Age experienced a golden age in bronze working, which points to the existence of a highly specialised craft.
For the first time, evidence can be found for individual workshops whose products were traded across extensive regions.