The study of grave - cremations at the graveyards of the Chernyakhiv-Sântana de Mureş culture has been a separate topic of research for more than a half of a century. 232 graves of the burial ground in Voitenki (excavations 2005-2020) were chosen for the joint project. Among them there are 118 cremation graves.

The archaeological complex of the Late Roman Period – Early Migration Period Voitenki is located on the territory of the Bogodukhov district, Kharkov region of the Ukraine, 2.5 km north of the Dnieper-Donetsk watershed line, occupies both (southern and northern) slopes of a wet ravine. The settlement occupies areas of the southern (sections A, B, C) and northern (section D) slopes adjacent to the river; above the settlement on the southern slope there is a burial field (Fig.1). In areas A, D, two horizons of the Late Roman Period in the Dnieper-Donets forest-steppe are presented: the Boromlya horizon of stages C1b, C2 and the horizon of the “classical” Chernyakhiv culture of stages C3, D1. In areas B and C, only complexes and finds exclusively from the horizon of the “classical” Chernyakhiv culture are known so far. The graves at the cemetery belong to stages C3 – D1 (J. Tejral 1992, 234-246) or to phases B - E of the horizon of the “classical” Chernyakhov culture in the region Dnieper-Donetsk forest-steppe (M.V. Lûbičev 2019, čast 2, 32-36).

On this burial ground the population of a settlement entombed its members. It is the aim of the investigation to try a reconstruction of the social structure as fare as it is recognizable in this cemetery. Among the cremation burials of the graveyard due to details of the ritual and the presence of specific equipment some so-called “special” cremation graves stand out, which already have been subject of our study. For this paper a number of cremation graves has been selected which seem to reveal special information concerning this question. First of all graves with a considerable inventory consisting of divers objects could include evidences of the social position of the buried persons. The selection of graves mainly based on two criteria: ceramic inventory, extraordinary or rare components in the inventories. Graves 2, 7, 31, 48, 144 are located within the zone most saturated with cremation graves, and graves 69, 110, 114, 216, 223, 226, 230 - to the North-East and East of it (Fig. 1). Two types of cremation burials can be distinguished: type I – urn graves, type II – graves without an urn (7, 31, 69, 114. Urn graves include graves in one (48, 144, 223, 226, 230) and two (2, 110, 216) urns.
All graves presented here include remains of ceramic vessels except grave 69. Pots, bowls, vases, jugs and beakers occur in the characteristic form of Chernyakhiv wheel-made pottery. The fragments of a red slip vessel in grave 48 (Fig. 5:15). belong to a bowl of type PRS 4 according to K. Domżalski (T.M. Arsen'eva, K. Domżalski 2002, 427, fig.13).

The vessels used as urn are preserved completely or to a larger extend, but only few or even single fragments have been preserved as evidence of other vessels. In four graves a pot served as urn, in one grave a vase. Two graves had two urns: grave 2 – two pots (Fig. 2), grave 110 a pot and a beaker. Half of the graves presented here contained glass vessels. Buckles were part of the metal clothing accessories. Beads and pendants represent jewellery. In grave 223 6 iron pendant-buckets and two rosette-like pendants, consisting of a central bigger cylinder with handle surrounded by 8 small cylinders (Fig. 10: B: 1-9), have been discovered. In the European Barbaricum during Late Roman Period rosette-like pendants are found only sporadically, but spread over a large area: in the river basin of Elbe, Mecklenburg, Holstein, within the area of Przeworsk and Chernyakhiv culture. Antler pendants were found in graves 48 (pyramidal) and 223 (from the base of a deer antler) (Fig. 5:3, 10: A:4). Toilet objects included combs, detected as burnt (graves 2, 48, 110). Household items include knives, needles, and spindle whorls. Two knives from grave 223 look special (Fig. 10: B: 10, 11). The presence of a ring at the end of the handle of the first knife and a loop handle on the second suggests that both knives were suspended (as pendants). In grave 223 a metal part of a wooden casket was discovered (Fig.10: A: 5).

The combination of a brooche with attributes of Bügelknopffibel and Zwiebelknopffibel together with a pair of spurs of type Leuna makes grave 114 a special complex. In the grave 144 silver fittings of a wooden vessel were found. Wooden vessels with silver fittings usually were components of graves, which included further items of precious metal. Often the rich grave goods of these graves are evidence for associating the buried person with social elite. Grave 69 contained a set of glass gaming pieces (Fig. 6: 2). As a Roman import, sets of glass tokens are quite common in the rich graves (inhumations and cremations) in the Barbaricum from the Rhine to the Vistula and further east, in the area of the Chernyakhiv culture. Grave 69 included a bent bronze knife. Analogies to Roman Pterygotom (lat. scalpellus) and Spatula (Spatelsonde) indicate that it was a medical instrument of Roman origin, which could be used here for different purposes.
Grave 223 bears resemblance to several cremation graves of the Late Roman period in the Barbaricum (Fig. 8, 9). Among the burial grounds of the Chernyakhiv culture these are grave 19 Pryvil’ne (Privolnoye), grave 67 Dumaniv (Dumanov) and in the area of the Przeworsk culture grave 98 of the cemetery in Opatów (Fig. 11, 12). These graves feature similarities based on the burial rite and the composition of the inventory.

Inhumation and cremation graves were equipped with similar grave goods, which are much less represented in the cremation graves sample. For completely preserved cremation and inhumation graves a table presents the “standard elements” of the inventories and their percentage (Tab. 2).

Archaeological and anthropological analyses of 12 cremation graves offer some results. Except one all anthropologically determined graves contained the cremated bones of one person respectively. In two graves the bones of a deceased person were separated in two vessels. The only double grave included a child and an adult person buried in one urn. Ceramic fragments and vessels were found in different number and several combinations. But a large ceramic collection was not strictly connected with numerous other items in the graves. Further the inventories can include personal belongings like ornaments, accessories, combs, small tools as “standard elements”. Glass vessels or animal bones were found frequently, but not regularly. In five graves items were found outside the mentioned “standard elements”. Spurs, unique ornaments or pendants, silver fittings, red slip bowl, gaming pieces, casket or scalpel were interpreted as status symbol. These artefacts indicate not only material prosperity or a higher social position. They can also be a sign of the profession, the special role of the deceased within the community.