User Manual for CBAB-Database (Cremation Bronze Age Burials)

How to create a new Burial site

Go to https://cbab.acdh.oeaw.ac.at and log in with your personal credentials on the right side of the top bar.

Click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Locations.

Check if the burial site you want to create is in or close to any of the mentioned locations. Locations are not equal to archaeological sites! A location is a geographical place (e. g. a village or town) which can include several archaeological sites.

If there is no location for the burial site you wanted to enter, create first a new place (location) with add another Place.

Enter the name of the place (location) and start typing the country's name into Province. The drop down list has an autocomplete function and you should be able to find the province in seconds SAVE.

After having saved the new place (location) click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burial Site. Press the button Create New Site.

Start filling out the form by using the official name of the burial site and (if existing) its alternative name (eg. Bügeleisenschnitt, Walter 81, Ugly Tree, etc.).

Start filling out every box as exactly as possible with the help of the drop down lists.
Please notice: all drop down lists come with an autocomplete function and you have to choose one option. If you find a specific term missing in a list please contact the database-team.

Latitude and Longitude are both mandatory for creating a burial site.
If the literature or excavation documentation do not provide you with Latitude and Longitude, please use google maps to complement them.

Disturbance and Absolute Dating need to be filled out, if you have anything to report. If you have C14-dates please quote the sample numbers (eg. KIA 4382).

Dating is the only drop down list, where you can choose several terms. So if the urn field contains Bz D, Ha A and Ha B burials you choose these three options.

Location of archaeological material and contact information are not mandatory. If you don’t have the information who is in charge of the material or where it is kept, please mention this in the box.

Reference is a drop down as well, which functions with the literature in the Zotero-database. Just remember, if you like to add references, you first have to be put in the Zotero-databse by the CBAB-Team (send us an email).

By Save you will come to the overview of the Burial Site that you just created. If you want to change any of Burial Site properties (Disturbance, Dating, Location of archaeological material etc.) please click the button Edit Burial Site and save again the changes that you made.

How to search for Burial Sites

Click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burial Site. This will bring you to All Burial Sites with the list of all Burial Sites in the database (on the right of the screen). Click on the Name or cbab-id and you will see a general page with all the information regarding this specific burial site, including the list of all entered Burials.

Or: You can enter the name of the specific Burial Site in the box Burial Site name (first box on the top left) and click Search.

If you look for burial sites with special properties:

You can choose every property concerning burial sites (Location, Topography etc.) in boxes by filtering in the left of the page.

Pick the things you are interested in (e. g. hillside in Location, Ha A in Dating and <100m in Distance to next settlement) and click Search.

This will give you a list of all the burial sites featuring the properties you picked. From there you can again go to the burial site by clicking on the Name or cbab-id. This will bring you to the general information page on this burial site.

How to create a Burial group

Definition:
A Burial group is number of graves being connected to each other by either some architectonic feature (e.g. a grave hill or fencing) or just a close spatial arrangement and being named by the excavation team “burial group”.

There are two ways to create a Burial group.

1. Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burial Group.
   Underneath the title All Burial Groups you find the button Create New Burial Group. Follow C)

2. Or you first go to the Burial Site you would like to create a Burial group in. You can find burial sites in All Burial Sites.
   Clicking on the Name (e. g. Athens, Franzhausen-Kokoron) brings you to the general page on the Burial site you chose.


At the top of the Burial Site general page you find Create Objects in this Burial Site, where you have two buttons Burial Group and Burial. Click Burial Group and follow C).


3. Both ways (A and B) will bring you to the page Create/Edit Burial Group.


Fill out all of the boxes thoroughly and click Save.
Caution: If the Burial group is not separated from the rest of the graveyard by an architectonic feature (e.g. grave hill, rock chamber or enclosure) please describe it in the box Name.

By saving you will come to the general page on Burial Group/Burial Site. From there you can create burials by clicking the button Burial in Create Objects in this Burial Site on top of the page.

How to search for Burial Groups

Click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burial group. This will bring you to All Burial Groups with the list of all Burial Groups in the database (on the right of the screen). Click on the ID or Burial Group Number and you will see a general page with all the information regarding this specific burial group, including the list of all associated Burials.

If you look for burial groups with special properties:

You can choose every property concerning burial groups by filtering in boxes on the left of the page (Burial group type, Material etc.). Pick the things you are interested in (e.g. Burial site in Burial group type and soil/stone in Material) and click Search.

This will give you a list of all the burial groups featuring the properties you picked. From there you can go to the burial groups by clicking on the ID or Burial Group Number. This will again bring you to the general information page on this burial group.

How to create a Burial

There are two ways to create a Burial.

1. Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burial. Underneath the title All Burials you find the button Create New Burial. Follow C).
2. Or you first go to the Burial Site you would like to create a Burial in. You can find burial sites in All Burial Sites.
   

   Clicking on the Name (e. g. Athens, Franzhausen-Kokoron) brings you to the general page on the Burial site you chose.
   At the top of the general page you find Create Objects in this Burial Site, where you can click the button Burial.

   

Both ways (A or B) bring you to the page Create/Edit Burial.

Try to fill out as many boxes as it is possible. Not all boxes are mandatory (e.g. Burial group is not mandatory, since not every grave belongs to one Burial group).

If there is a drop down list choose one option, except from the box Filling objects where you can put multiple terms.

There are several text boxes which allow you to express certain properties of the grave more in detail. If the grave does not feature them just leave the text boxes empty.
This concerns the following boxes:

• Displaced text
• Extraordinary burial text
• Inhumation burial type
• Bi-ritual burial type
• Post holes
• Surface identification marks
• Erdgraebchen and
• Other features

Click Save and you will be directed to the general overview on the Burial.

How to search for Burials

Click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burials. This will bring you to All Burials with the list of all Burials in the database (on the right of the screen). Clicking on the one specific Burial from the list brings you general page with all the information on the burial.

If you look for burials with special properties:

First go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Burials.
This brings you again to the All Burials page. You can choose every property concerning burials in boxes by filtering on the left of the page.

Pick the things you are interested in (e.g. urn burial in Burial type and burial mound made of soil in Construction) and click Search.

This gives you a list of all the burials featuring the properties you picked. From there you can go to the different burials just by clicking on specific burial that you are interested in, which will bring you to the general information page on this burial.

How to Create an Urn

There are two different ways to create an Urn.

1. First you have to create a burial (see above How to create a Burial) and go to the general page on this specific burial.
   

   There is the category Create objects in this Burial where you choose the button Urn. Continue with C).

2. Caution!
   Using method B) means you have to pick the burial from the list provided in Burial on top of the page. The list features every burial in the database!
   Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urn.
   It brings you to the page All Urns, where you can use the button Create New Urn.
   
3. Fill out all the boxes using the Basic shape drop-down and your own words in the text boxes. The Urn Inventory Number asks for the original inventory number mentioned in the catalogue or excavation documentation. If you do not know it, please mention it.
   

How to search for Urns

First click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urns. This will bring you to the All Urns with the list of all Urns in the database (on the right of the screen).
You can find urns and check their properties (Urn type, Objects in the urn) by clicking on the ID or Urn Inventory Number. This brings you to a general page with all the information on the urn vessel. If you click on one of the Burials from the list on the right you will get all general information regarding this specific burial.

If you look for urns with special properties:
First go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urns. This brings you again to the All Urns. You can choose every property concerning urns in boxes by filtering in the left of the page.

Pick the things you are interested in (e.g. vessel with a cone shaped neck in Basic shape) or write the terms you are interested in in the text boxes (e.g. Variation contains). Click Search. This gives you a list of all the urns featuring the properties you picked. From there you can go to the specific Urn by clicking ID or Urn Inventory Number. Clicking on the name of the Burial (under Burial) will bring you to the general information page on this burial.

How to Create an Urn cover

There are two different ways to create an Urn cover.

1. First you have to create an urn (see above) and click Urn Cover yes


Then go to the general page on this specific urn burial. In the category Create objects in this Burial you choose the button Urn Cover. Continue with C).

2. Caution! Using method B) means you have to pick one Urn from the list. The list features every urn in all burials in the database!
   Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urn Cover. It brings you to the page All Urn Covers, where you can use the button Create New Urn Cover.


This will bring you to the sheet Create/Edit Urn Cover. The first field is Urn. Here you must choose a specific Urn from the drop down list that correlates with the Urn cover you are entering!
After that you can proceed with the Urn cover properties (Basic shape, Upside Down, Fragment, Inventory number). SAVE


3. Fill out all the boxes using the Basic shape drop-down and your own words in the text boxes. The Urn cover Inventory Number is the original inventory number mentioned in the catalogue or excavation documentation. If you do not know it, please enter Unknown.

How to search for Urn covers

First click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urn cover. This will bring you to All Urn Covers with the list of all Urn covers in the database (on the right of the screen).
You can find urn covers and check their properties by clicking on the ID or Urn cover Inventory Number. This brings you to a page with all the information on the specific urn cover that. If you click on one of the Burials from the list on the right you will get all general information regarding this specific burial.

If you look for urn covers with special properties:
First go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Urn cover. This brings you again to the All Urn covers page. You can choose every property concerning urn covers in boxes by filtering in the left of the page. Pick the things you are interested in (e.g. lid in Basic shape and Yes in Upside down). Click Search.

This gives you a list of all the urn covers featuring the properties you picked. From there you can go to the specific Urn cover by clicking ID or Urn Inventory Number. Clicking on the name of the Burial (under Burial) will bring you to the general information page on this burial.

How to Create a Grave Good

Important to know:
You can just add one type of grave good in each entry.

Example: You do have a grave with a knife, two vase-headed pins and an accessory vessel.
You will then have to enter grave good three times: one entry for the knife, one entry for the two vase-headed pins and one entry for the accessory vessel.

Caution: If you have a grave with two pins both vase-headed but different variations, you will have to make two different grave good entries.

There are two different ways to create Grave Good.

1. First you have to create a burial (see above How to create a Burial).
   On the general page of the burial there is the category Create objects in this Burial where you choose the button Grave Good (continue with C). Since this is the easier way, we highly recommend using this method! By following it you cannot mix up the burials.

2. Caution: Using method B) means you have to pick the burial and urn from the list. The list features every burial and every urn in the database!

Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Grave good. It brings you to the page All Grave Goods, where you can use the button Create New Grave Goods. This will bring you to sheet Create/Edit Grave Goods.
First two fields are Burial and Urn. Here you must choose a specific Burial/Urn which correlates to the Grave good you are entering!
After that you can proceed with the Grave Good properties (Type, Material, etc.). SAVE


3. Create/Edit Burial. Fill out all the boxes mainly using the drop-down-lists.
   Amount means just the total amount of the specific grave good you are entering in this moment and not the total number of all Grave Goods.
   In the text box Comment you can add important details (e.g. the inventory number mentioned in the catalogue/excavation documentation or the type variation in the original language “Vasenkopfnadel Typ Velatiće”). SAVE
4. There is a short cut, if you enter more than just one grave good. After Saving the first Grave good you will see the Description of the Grave Good that you just entered. On the bottom of this page you will find the button Create New Grave Goods in This Burial. Click the button and start entering the next grave good.

How to search for a Grave Good

The variety and number of Grave Goods can be overwhelming if you just look for something unspecific. If you want to browse the grave good data with no closer result in mind, there are two ways:

First click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Grave Goods. This will bring you to All Grave Goods with the list of all Grave Goods in the database (on the right side of the screen). You can find Grave Goods and look at their properties by clicking on ID or Type in the list. This brings you to a page with all the information on the specific Grave Good. If you click on one of the Burials from the list on the right you will get all general information regarding this specific burial.

If you look for specific grave goods or grave goods with special properties:
First go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Grave Goods.
This brings you to the All Grave Goods page. You can choose every property concerning burials in boxes by filtering in the left of the page.

Pick the things you are interested in (eg. urn burial in Burial type and burial mound made of soil in Construction) and click Search.
This gives you a list of all the grave goods featuring properties you picked. From there you can go to the specific Grave Good by clicking ID or Type. Clicking on the name of the Burial (under Burial) will bring you to the general information page on this burial.

How to enter anthropological results in CBAB

Important to know:
You can just add one deceased of the burial in each entry.

Example: You have a grave with an adult man and an Infans 1. You will then have to make two different entries in Anthropology for each person.

There are two different ways to create an Anthropology result.

1. First you have to create a burial (see above How to create a Burial).
   On the general page of the burial there is the category Create objects in this Burial where you choose the button Anthropology (continue with C). Since this is the easier way, we highly recommend using this method! By following it you cannot mix up the burials.

2. Caution! Using method B) means you have to pick the burial and urn from the list. The list features every burial and every urn in the database!

Go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Anthropology. It brings you to the page All Anthropology where you can use the button Create New Anthropology. This will bring you to sheet Create/Edit Anthropology. First two fields are Burial and Urn. Here you must choose a specific Burial/Urn which correlates to the Anthropology you are entering!
After that you can proceed with the Anthropology properties (Age, Gender etc.). SAVE


3. Create/Edit Anthropology. Fill out all the boxes mainly using the drop-down-lists and adding information from the anthropological report.

Weight means just the weight of the person you are entering in this moment and not the total amount of all human remains (= Total weight of Human Remains).
In the text box Comment you can add important details (e.g. the inventory number mentioned in the catalogue/excavation documentation or grave good objects being found among the cremated human remains).


4. There is a short cut, if you enter more than just one person. After Saving the first Anthropology (first person) you will see the Description of the Anthropology that you just entered. On the bottom of this page you will find the button Create New Anthropology in This Burial. Click the button and start entering the next human remains.

How to browse or search for anthropological results

First click Curate and Browse the Data and choose Anthropology. This brings you to the All Anthropology with the list of all Anthropologies in database (on the right side of the screen). By clicking on the ID you will see Description of the specific Anthropology with all properties (Age, Gender etc.). Clicking on the one of the Burials from the list Burial, you will get all general information regarding this specific burial.

If you look for specific age groups or persons with special properties:
First go to Curate and Browse the Data and choose Anthropology. This brings you to the All Anthropology page. You can choose every property (Age, Gender etc.) concerning Anthropology in boxes.
Pick the things you are interested in (eg. Infans 1 (0-6) in Age and I (200-300 Celsius) in Temperature). Click Search.

This gives you a list of all the burials featuring the properties you picked. From there you can go to the specific Anthropology by clicking ID. Clicking on the name of the Burial (under Burial) will bring you to the general information page on this burial.