Inhabiting death. Exploring the role of settlement burials in Copper Age Italy

Human remains found in settlements during the Italian Copper Age (IV–III millennia BCE) offer valuable insights into the practices and social dynamics of prehistoric communities. These burials vary widely, from fully intact interments to scattered or incomplete skeletal remains, reflecting diverse choices in how the dead were treated and revealing the complex connections between the living and the deceased. This study focuses on the relationship between burials within settlements and those in formal cemeteries, asking whether these deposits reflect marginalization, ritual practices, or alternative forms of social representation. Central to the investigation is the question of access: why were certain individuals buried within settlements while others were interred in necropolises? Who were the people buried in these domestic contexts, and what factors—social, symbolic, or practical—shaped their place of burial? By analysing burial typologies, bioarchaeological data and associated grave goods, this study seeks to reconstruct aspects of community life and explore the organization of Copper Age societies. The comparison of settlement burials with contemporary necropolises aims to identify patterns of inclusion and exclusion, providing a deeper understanding on the social and cultural dynamics that shaped burial practices within settlements during the Copper Age in Italy.