The CRUMBEL project : archaeometry and cremated bones from the Late Neolithic till the Merovingian period

The CRUMBEL project brings together researchers from three Belgian universities and the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage. The purpose of this collaboration is to study the Belgian archaeological collections of cremated bones dating from the Neolithic till the Merovingian period. The project aims to improve knowledge concerning the living conditions and the mobility of populations in Belgium during this period. Cremation was dominant during this period in Northern Europe. The research will include osteo-archaeology of the cremated bones, 14C dating, isotopic analyses of carbon, oxygen and strontium, as well as infrared analysis. In this context, the team is also creating a Belgian map with the biological strontium present from each geological region. For the Bronze Age we have a large quantity of bones to study from the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age urnfields. The Early and Middle Bronze Ages are less represented due to problems with the preservation of the barrows.