Tracing the Transmission of Power. An Analysis of Protohistoric Child Burials in the Tli Cemetery, Greater Caucasus
Keywords:
Tli burial ground, Greater Caucasus, child burials, protohistorical archaeology, transmission of powerAbstract
The aim of this contribution is to analyse the child burials excavated in the Tli cemetery. This important site is located in the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountain range near one of the most important roads between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus regions. The study of these burials has provided important information on the complex and little studied social dynamics of the protohistoric communities they represent. In particular, the presence of weapons in most of the child burials suggests a change in the transmission of power from a meritocratic to an hereditary basis.
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