# Urnfield burial customs spread (-1200)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/-1200-urnfield-burial-customs-spread
Location: Poland

Cremation and urn burial in large cemeteries became the dominant funerary practice, part of the wider Urnfield tradition of Central Europe. Within the broader Bronze & Iron Age period: In the late Bronze and early Iron Ages the Lusatian and Pomeranian cultures built fortified settlements such as Biskupin, while Celtic and early Germanic groups introduced new technologies and long-distance trade. At this point in the timeline (c. 1200 BCE), the governing authority was Bronze and Iron Age cultures (No single ruler). Lusatian, Pomeranian, Celtic and early Germanic communities organised themselves in fortified settlements and chiefdoms without any overarching political authority. Urnfield burial customs spread mattered because religion shaped Polish identity, culture and the country's place in Europe. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Urnfield burial customs spread mattered because religion shaped Polish identity, culture and the country's place in Europe.

Ruler at the time: [Bronze and Iron Age cultures](https://poland-history.com/rulers/bronze-and-iron-age-cultures)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Urnfield culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urnfield_culture)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Urnfield burial customs spread](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Urnfield+burial+customs+spread)
- [Wikipedia — Lusatian culture (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusatian_culture)