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Urnenveld
Grave hill in Boshoverheide
Grave hill in Boshoverheide

With the passing of the prehistoric Hunebed phenomenon, the Bronze Age arrived and introduced new burial methods to Europe, better known as the Urnenveld (translation: Urn Field) culture. This era lasted from about 1300 to 950-920 BC, leading well into the Iron Age. Dozens of these grave hill containing fields have been found in the Netherlands alone, many of which can be found in the area of Kempen.

Process[]

Cremated bodies were puts inside of river clay urns and put inside a hole. These graves were covered by a small hill and a little moat that goes around it. While this was common, not everyone had the same burial. Ashes were sometimes buried inside bags and again others were spread across a field. Sometimes these sites contained uncremated bodies. Reasons for this remain unanswered.[1]

Modern Times[]

Urn Fields are not very common nowadays. There's a crematory in Westerveld that comes with an urn field and has been in use since 1932. Ever since 2014 it is possible to bury one's urn in the Terborgh region of Anloo as well.[2]

References[]

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