The present volume reunites most of the papers that were presented at the second meeting of the Homines, Funera, Astra Symposium on Funerary Anthropology that took place at ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University, Alba Iulia, between 23rd and 26th September 2012. The theme of the volume is Life beyond Death in Ancient Times. The intention was to create a forum for discussing Prehistoric, Roman and Migration Period burial practices from Central and South-Eastern Europe, focusing on elements that might suggest belief in afterlife. The interdisciplinary character of the volume is provided by the varied approaches to the archaeology by the contributors, resulting in exploring the subject from multiple perspectives: archaeological, anthropological, geological, architectural, landscape, and epigraphic. Seven studies are dedicated to prehistoric burial practices, discussing discoveries dating from the Palaeolithic (one study), Neolithic and Copper Age (four studies), and Bronze Age (one study). A study focusing on methodology proposes a non-invasive method of analysis for burial mounds, with examples from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Two studies focusing on the Roman Period and another on the Migration Period complete our vision of funerary archaeology for this part of Europe. The editor’s wish to express their joy that the editorial project, which started with the publication of the first HFA volume (R. Kogălniceanu, R.-G. Curcă, M. Gligor and S. Stratton (eds.), Homines, Funera, Astra. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Funerary Anthropology, 5-8 June 2011, ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University, Alba Iulia, Romania. Oxford, Archaeopress, BAR International Series 2410), is followed by the present book. The basis for the series dedicated to burial archaeology with the intention to be a useful, modern, interdisciplinary instrument, is thus laid.

The third volume of the Homines, Funera, Astra series gathers works presented at the third and fourth editions of the International Symposium on Funerary Archaeology: Death and Fire in Ancient Times (15–18 September 2013), and Time and Cause of Death from Prehistory to the Middle Ages (21–23 September 2014), both held at the ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University in Alba Iulia, Romania. The contributions focus on two central topics regarding past funerary behaviour in Central and South-Eastern Europe: cremation, and cause and time of death. As in previous volumes, interdisciplinarity is a key feature. The study of archaeological contexts through 14C dating and Bayesian modelling, osteological studies including palaeopathologies, and epigraphic and numismatic evidence were all taken into account to establish the various causes of death and/or the moment these tragic events took place. The present volume includes 13 studies, six of which are dedicated to prehistoric funerary practices – dating to the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods (four studies), Bronze Age (one study) and Iron Age (one study). Three more papers are focused on the Roman Age, while the volume is completed with four papers on the Medieval period, overall providing a wealth of new information on funerary behaviour in this part of Europe.

The study of burial practices, of human attitudes and behaviour in the face of death, has been an important part of archaeological research from its very beginnings. Some funerary discoveries have achieved sensational fame. Yet beyond this the archaeological community quickly came to understand that it is possible to gain as much information about the lives of past people from studying their funerary behaviour as it is from studying their daily activities and the resultant artefacts. This volume gathers together the majority of the papers presented at the International Symposium on Funerary Anthropology, 'Homines, Funera, Astra', which took place at '1 Decembrie 1918' University of Alba Iulia, 5-8 June 2011. The theme of the conference, aimed to address the investigation of human osteological remains and burial practices specific to the prehistory and history in Central and Eastern Europe. Contents: 1) Spirituality of Palaeolithic burials: offerings of decorative items and body ornaments (Valentin-Codrin Chirica, Vasile Chirica); 2) Considerations regarding the Palaeolithic anthropological discoveries in Romania and the Republic of Moldova (Madalin-Cornel Valeanu); 3) On Palaeolithic social inequality: The funerary evidence (Mircea Anghelinu); 4) Burial practices in the Iron Gates Mesolithic (Adina Boroneant, Clive Bonsall); 5) Bioarchaeological inferences from Neolithic human remains at Alba Iulia-Lumea Noua (Transylvania, Romania) (Mihai Gligor, Mariana Rosu, Viorel Panaitescu 6) Gendered bodies and objects in a mortuary domain: Comparative analysis of Durankulak cemetery ); (Susan Stratton, Dusan Boric); 7) Adornments from the Hamangia cemetery excavated at Cernavoda - Columbia D. Contextual analysis (Raluca Kogalniceanu); 8) Shell adornments from the Hamangia cemetery excavated at Cernavoda - Columbia D. Techno-typological analysis (Monica Margarit); 9) Traditions, Rules and Exceptions in the Eneolithic Cemetery from Sultana - Malu Rosu (Southeast Romania) (Catalin Lazar, Madalina Voicu, Gabriel Vasile); 10) Anthropological research of the Komariv type (Middle Bronze Age) tumular cemetery, at Adancata (Suceava County, Romania) (Angela Simalcsik, Bogdan Petru Niculica); 11) Coins and pebbles from the Anglo-Georgian excavations at Pichvnari (Michael Vickers); 12) Funerary rite and rituals of the Early Sarmatians (second and first centuries BC) in the area between the mouths of the Don and the Danube (Funerary customs of Scythians and Thracians: a lexical analysis (Vitalie Barca); 13) Infant Burials in Roman Dobrudja. A report of work in progress: The case of Ibida (Slava Rusa) (Alexander Rubel, Andrei D. Soficaru); 14) Aspects of everyday life in Scythia Minor reflected in some funerary discoveries from Ibida (Slava Rusa, Tulcea County) (Dan Aparaschivei, Mihaela Iacob, Andrei D. Soficaru, Dorel Paraschiv); 15) Early Roman and Late Roman child graves in Dobrudja (Romania) (Irina Achim).