One of a Kind? Analysis of a Unique Pre‐Roman Iron Age Burial at Czelin, Poland

ABSTRACT Inhumation burials are a rare phenomenon in Central Europe in the pre‐Roman and Roman Iron Age when cremation predominates. This raises questions about the origin of the practice and the identity of those persons treated differently from the rest of the population, including their possible status as migrants. This study analyzes the enamel from a noncremated adult male individual from Czelin, together with cremated long bone fragments from six urn graves recovered from the same cemetery, using strontium isotopes to test the hypothesis of a possible nonlocal origin. Czelin is a cemetery associated with the Lubuska Group dating to the pre‐Roman and Roman Iron Age, located on the Oder River, a potential route for long‐distance travel. Results show a difference between the ratios obtained for the enamel (0.7125) and the cremated bones (0.7106–0.7117), highlighting the difference between the childhood of the inhumed individual and the adulthood of the cremated ones. The latter fall within the range of bioavailable strontium for the vicinity of the site (0.7099–0.7122). However, the great variability of Sr isotope ratios in the wider region (0.7098–0.7165) means that the possibility that the inhumed individual was local cannot be excluded. Isotopic analyses provide insights into potential migration patterns, but the limited number of samples and regional isotopic variability complicate interpretations. The presence of inhumation practices in Jutland, Bornholm, and Silesia suggests a broader eschatological shift. However, cultural interpretation is inherently challenging, as burial rituals often reflect distorted images of societal beliefs.