Downstream from Belgrade: Medieval Cemeteries and Burial Practices in the Danube Region of the Central Balkans

Abstract

During the medieval period, the Danube region of the Central Balkans (the Serbian Danube region) was a dynamic transitional area, functioning as both a borderland and a contact zone. From the south and east, the region was influenced by the Byzantine Empire, the Bulgarian Khanate/Empire, and the Kingdom of Serbia, while to the north of the river lay the territories of the Avar Khaganate and the Kingdom of Hungary. Its strategic location, combined with shifting administrative boundaries, facilitated the movement and interaction of diverse populations, shaping local social and cultural practices. This paper examines the development of medieval cemeteries, focusing primarily on those from the 9th to the 13th centuries, and analyses how broader historical dynamics influenced local funerary customs. It is important to emphasise that there is no evidence of cremation burials in this part of the Danube region. Inhumation in row cemeteries, often accompanied by the personal adornments of the deceased, remained the predominant burial practice throughout the medieval period. Grave goods such as military items and food offerings are relatively rare. However, over time, significant changes took place, particularly in the spatial organization of cemeteries, along with a gradual decline in the inclusion of attire items in graves. Early medieval cemeteries were frequently situated near or within Late Roman fortifications and buildings, highlighting the continued strategic significance of these sites. By the High Middle Ages, burial grounds underwent significant spatial transformations, with cemeteries often being established in new areas. In contrast to the widespread integration of churchyard cemeteries across Christian Europe, burial sites in the Danube region were only occasionally associated with churches, reflecting a distinctive regional pattern