These guys were farmers who grew wheat and millet, but they also heavily relied on keeping farm animals, like pigs, sheep, goats, horses and cattle...
One curious thing we find in Baden culture are animal "graves" with whole cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs. As well as pits with partial animal remains, and whole and parts of animals buried together with humans.
You can read more about it in the paper "Transcendent phenomena in the Late Copper Age Boleráz/ Baden settlement uncovered at Balatonőszöd- Temetői dűlő: human and animal depositions"
The authors of the papers interpret these animal burials like this:
"...the celestial deities were invited to a joint feast during the offering, and certain parts of the sacrificed animal were offered to them...Celestial deities are the lords of the courses of stars and being the guardians of the fixed laws that rule this sphere, they were also the lords of justice, customs and ethics in the earthly world...Their predominance over the earthly deities evolved in societies where “knightly culture” flourished, meaning that charismatic social/military/religious leaders played a major role and a weaponry and social classes matching this role developed...The situation was different with the chthonic deities. They could not be invited to a joint feast, so the entire animal had to be offered to them...Accordingly, the complete skeletons uncovered at a site could have been offered to the chthonic deities, the partial ones to the celestial deities..."
My comment: That's kind of random??? Why???
"...The sacrificial pits dug into the earth are associated with the cult of chthonic deities and consequently the fertility cult and the cult of the dead: they are the lords of wealth, abundance and fate in the otherworld..."
My comment: this belief still exists among Slavs...
"...By means of offering sacrifices, these pits create a connection to the earthly and chthonic deities, who willingly accept the offering placed in the pits. In certain cases the pit itself is a chthonic altar..."
But then the authors backtrack on Celestial-Chthonic thingy:
"...As pits are the most common phenomena in a prehistoric settlement excavation...the sacrifices were always uncovered in pits. This, however, does not mean that all of them were offered to the chthonic deities! After all: what feature type could be associated in a prehistoric settlement with offering types intended for the celestial deities if not a pit?..."
My comment: Eeee exactly...
The authors then continue with this:
"...In the following we try to categorize in a simple and combined way the above described ritual rules of diverse origins as it can be adapted to the Boleráz / Baden cultures...Female animal skeletons could be funeral sacrifices relating to female fertility symbols in fertility rites...Mature male animals could be votive offerings, the symbols of male power in fertility ceremonies, and appeasing offerings to the chthonic deities...Immature skeletons could be firstling offerings, the young animals could be offered to prominent heroes and ancestors...The large communal sacrifices could be peace offerings..."
My comment: Based on what exactly???
They finish with:
"...An interpretation according to the above stated ritual rules almost frighteningly simplifies the animal burials, which seem extremely complex and variegated at first glance..."
My comment: Except this is all just a complete speculation, based on what???
The paper authors also try to address placing of whole animals in human graves:
"...There could be various reasons why animal skeletons were placed beside human corpses...The choice of the species of the “accompanying animal” could be connected with animal species that possessed death “aspects” in the cults of the dead (like dogs and horses)..."
My comment: how do we know that these animals had "death aspect"? And what is "death aspect"???
"...It is also possible that a former pet was placed beside the dead or an animal that marked something for the community or the individual (totem animal) or one that reflected the person’s social status: a symbol of power, status or occupation...Still, one circumstance remains inexplicable: no religious historical work mentions an offering type in which pregnant women and female animals (sheep) or foetuses (newborn babies, calves, lambs, piglets) were used, a phenomena, which was observed in Baden burials..."
So confusing...
There is actually one simple explanation for all of this. I believe these whole animals buried with humans or in graves next to human graves, were not sacrifices. These animals were killed and buried to accompany their deceased owners to the otherworld...
Remember: As above, so below...How old is this belief? The dead will awake in the otherworld exactly as they were buried. Which is why all these ancient cultures buried their dead with their chariots, weapons, tools, jewelry, food, drink...And their cattle, sheep, goats, dogs...
This also explains why pregnant women and animals and newborn animals and children were "sacrificed" (killed and sent to the otherworld to accompany a deceased man so he can have a ready made family when he wakes in the otherworld)...
This old belief, is the reason we still dress our dead "in their best" and put makeup on them "to make them look their best"...When they enter eternity...
What is very interesting is that cattle and other domestic animal burials were during Copper Age period found all in Central Europe, in the connected territories of Baden (I2a, G2a), Funnel-Beaker (I2a, G2a), Globular Amphorae (I2a, G2a) and Corded Ware (R1a, I2a) cultures...
Do you think that maybe this belief system was in some way linked to a particular tribe connected through paternal lineage... 🙂 Just an idea...
BTW, these cattle, sheep and goat herders were also butter and cheese makers. Just like their other Central European I2a and G2a cousins...
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