Abstract
One of symbolic roles of Neolithic long houses in central Europe might have been burial of ancestors. There is no hard evidence for the funerary function of long houses, however, it is commonly assumed (BRADLEY 2000).
Already during their dwelling function some houses were possibly used for primary deposition of remains of ancestors. The burials were later in the time of abandonment of the house removed elsewhere or remained resting inside the building.
This is the process of transformation from the house of living to the house of dead. This paper is presenting an outline of the origin and development of burial mounds in Central Europe during the Neolithic and Eneolithic Periods.
In the first part of the paper I am considering the possible interpretations for the origin of barrows in the context of dying Neolithic longhouses. The main purpose of the second part of the paper is to discuss the question on missing evidence of barrows of the late Eneolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker period in Central Europe.
Variety of problems of demographic representation of cemeteries, burial customs and spatial structure of funerary areas are connected to the missing barrows. I emphasise the variability of late Eneolithic funerary monuments, including the discussion on burial chambers and circular ditches, yet another type of funerary construction without an earthed mound that may be described as houses of dead.