The hypogeum from the Carrer París (Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona): micromorphological study of a Late Neolithic and Bell-Beaker funeral deposit

This paper presents the contributions of micromorphology to the study of the hypogeum of Carrer Paris (Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona), dated between 2878 and 2206 cal bc. The hypogeum of Carrer Paris was first used for a collective inhumation during the Late Neolithic. Afterward it was used again during the Bell-Beaker Chalcolithic for three different burial episodes including Bell-Beaker vessels.. The continued use of the sepulcher highlights the evolution of common funeral practices in the Neolithic towards a progressive tendency to individualize burials parallel to the adoption of bell- shaped vessels. The study shows that the hypogeum was conceived and constructed well in advance of its use as well as the existence of a funeral ritual related to the use of fire prior to its use as a sepulchre. In addition, the sedimentary infilling of the structure by geogenic processes and identifies the post-depositional processes that the burials have suffered. In summary, soil micromorphology has proved to be an essential tool for the study and interpretation of funerary contexts. In this case, it has allowed us to identify and characterize better the constructive and funerary process of this type of prehistoric burials in the peninsular Northeast.