THE BURIAL PRACTICES OF THE GRAVETTIAN AND THE EPI-GRAVETTIAN PERIODS IN ITALY, CZECH REPUBLIC, AND RUSSIA TATA CARA PENGUBURAN ZAMAN GRAVETTIAN DAN EPI-GRAVETTIAN DI ITALIA, REPUBLIK CEKO, DAN RUSIA

This paper describes the burial practice in the Gravettian (early Upper Paleolithic) and the Epi-Gravettian periods (late Upper Paleolithic) in Italy, and the Gravettian period (early Upper Paleolithic) in Czech and Russia. In Italy, the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian burial sites were mostly situated in caves because geologically Italy has extensive karstic systems throughout Alpine mountains. Meanwhile, the Gravettian single and multiple burial sites in Czech and Russia were found in an alluvial plain. The single burials are more numerous in the Epi-Gravettian than the Gravettian periods in Italy. Furthermore, Italy has the largest number of the Gravettian single and multiple burials compared to Czech and Russia. If the compass direction and the corpse placement (prosthesis) in the ground and the position of the head are considered, it apparently links to their origin. The ancestors of the Gravettian peoples in Italy, Czech, and Russia are supposed to have originated from the East or Southeast. The disparity of cultural behavior between the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian periods in Italy can be deduced by the number of single burial and the environmental condition where the Gravettian period developed during the last glacial maximum (LGM), while the Epi-Gravettian happened in warmer condition.


Burial Practice in The Gravettian and The Epi-Gravettian Periods
The Upper Paleolithic (UP) period in Europe is generally associated with the hunter-gatherers Homo sapiens and their patterns of behavior (Holt & Formicola, 2008). In this period, the burial practices began to be performed, especially in the Gravettian (early UP) and Epi-Gravettian (late UP) periods (Klein, 1989;Riel-Salvatore & Gravel-Miguel, 2012).
Burial practice is an important source of information of the structure of ancient societies and an indicator of a religious awareness (Lapteff ,2013;Giacobini, 2007). The elaborate burial practices in the Upper Paleolithic (UP) period might indicate a change in the cultural patterns of societies throughout Europe, especially in Western and Eastern Europe, compared to the previous era.
The Gravettian and Epi-Gravettian peoples often buried their dead, in a single or multiple pits in the ground. The single burial contains one corpse, and the multiple burials contain number of corpses. Those pits can be in a closed site such as in limestone hills (caves and rock-shelters) or at an open site such as alluvial plains. In addition, they often put a variety of grave goods surrounding the dead such as beads, bone tools, stone tools and anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figurines (Fig 2), which were sprinkled with red-ochre by which it was more common in the Gravettian than in the Epi-Gravettian periods (Riel-Salvatore & Gravel-Miguel, 2013;Soffer et al, 2000). Red ochre is an iron oxide (hematite) that readily imparts its color to anything that encounters it. Ethnographically, sources of this coloring agent were used universally in the hunter-gatherer communities as having some kind of relationship with ritual behavior (Hayden, 2003).

Homo Sapiens in Europe and Their Cultures
Homo sapiens began to appear about 40,000 years ago in Europe (DeCorse, 2000;Klein, 1989). Furthermore, the archaeologist in Europe divided the Upper Paleolithic (UP) of Homo  This paper will describe the burial practice in the early and late Upper Paleolithic (UP) periods in Italy, Czech, and Russia, which are represented by the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian periods by studying four issues : the location of burial site, the presence of single versus multiple burials, the compass position of the corpse in the ground, and the corpse placement (prosthesis) in the ground.
Several locations of single and multiple burial pits in Western and Central Europe (Italy & Czech), and Eastern Europe (Russia) are studied (Table 1 -4). All the data were taken from Riel-Salvatore & Gravel-Miguel (2013).   3). For example, Dolni Vestonice as an open-air site in Czech, is situated along a stream (see Fig 4), and the Gravettian sites from Kostenki (Russia) were found in a loess-like deposit [2].  The Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian burial practices, particularly in Italy, are generally associated with the ancient Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers. It was mostly carried out in caves and rock shelters because geologically Italy has extensive karstic systems throughout Alpine mountains.

Figure 4 Dolni Vestonica Site in Czech
Cave has a special meaning for huntergatherer communities, and it is almost never used for the living; instead it is used for ritual purpose such as sanctuaries. This notion is supported by several items such as the occurrences of cave paintings and burials (Fig 5). The person who was buried in the single burial in the cave might be of a high social status, such as a shaman (Hayden, 2003).
in the Epi-Gravettian in Italy, and Italy has the largest number of single and multiple Gravettian burials compared to Czech and Russia (see Fig  6b, 6c & 6d). The disparity of cultural behavior between the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian periods in Italy can be deduced by the number of single burial and the environmental condition at the Gravettian period developed during the last glacial maximum (LGM) while the Epi-Gravettian happened in warmer condition (Bertolini et al., 2015).

(2) The Presence of Single Versus Multiple
Burials Overall, the single burial is more numerous than the multiple burials both in the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian periods, and the single burial is more dominant in the Epi-Gravettian than the Gravettian periods. Meanwhile, the multiple burial pits are more dominant in the Gravettian than in the Epi-Gravettian periods (Fig 6a). However, the reasons behind the idea of multiple burials in the Gravettian period is unknown.
Furthermore, if the geographical sites are considered, the single burial is more numerous Figure 6 Single Burial Versus Multiple Burials in Italy, Czech and Russia.

(3) The Compass Position of The Corpse in
The Ground In Italy, the compass direction of the corpse of the Gravettian and Epi-Gravettian single burials are North-South (N-S) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE) and Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE), respectively (Fig 7a). Meanwhile, those of the corpse of Gravettian and Epi-Gravettian multiple burials are East-West (E-W) and Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE), respectively (Fig 7b). The compass direction of the corpse of the Gravettian single burials are North-South (N-S) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE) directions in Czech (Fig 7c), and those of the Gravettian single burials in Russia are Northeast-Southwest (NE-SW) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE) (Fig 7d).
It can therefore be said in general that in Italy that the compass position of the dead in the ground, both in the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian single and multiple burials, is North-South (N-S) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE).

(4) The Corpse Placement (Prosthesis) in
The Ground In Italy, the corpse placement of the Gravettian single and multiple burials was commonly placed tilted to the left or prone (Fig 8a), and those of Epi-Gravettian single and multiple burials were commonly placed prone (Fig 8b).
If the compass direction and the corpse placement (prosthesis) in the ground and the position of the head are considered, they might be linked to the origin of the Gravettian and Epi-Gravettian peoples (e.g., Holt & Formicola, 2008, p. 73;Svoboda, 2007). If so, the ancestor of the Gravettian peoples in Italy (and the Gravettian peoples in Czech and Russia) apparently came from the East or the Southeast.

CONCLUSION
Since there are no data for the single and the multiple burials in the Epi-Gravettian period in Czech and Russia, it can be concluded that the burial practices in Italy are as follows.
The Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian burial practices, particularly in Italy, are generally associated with the ancient Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers. It was mostly carried out in caves and rock shelters because, geologically, Italy has extensive karstic systems throughout Alpine mountains. Meanwhile, the Gravettian burial sites in Czech, and Russia were located in alluvial plains.
The single burials are more numerous in the Epi-Gravettian in Italy, and Italy has the largest number of the Gravettian single and multiple burials when compared to Czech and Russia.
In Italy, the compass position of the dead in the ground, both in the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian single and multiple burials, are North-South (N-S) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE).
In Italy, the compass position of the dead in the ground, both in the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian single and multiple burials, are North-South (N-S) or Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE).
If the compass direction and the corpse placement (prosthesis) in the ground and the position of the head are considered, they might be linked to the origin of the Gravettian and Epi-Gravettian peoples. The ancestors of the Gravettian peoples in Italy (and the Gravettian peoples in Czech and Russia) are deemed to have come from the East or the Southeast.
The disparity of cultural behavior between the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettian periods in Italy can be deduced by the number of single burial and the environmental condition where, at the Gravettian period, developed during the last glacial maximum (LGM) while the Epi-Gravettian happened in warmer condition.