•- Subtle but significant changes in social differentiation between Bronze and Iron Age.•- Sr concentration analysis reveals animal protein intake differences in cremated bone.•- Iron Age individuals of higher status consumed more meat.•- 14C and spatial analysis show abandonment of oldest cemetery part between 900 and 800 BCE. Urnfields were the common type of cemetery in the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA) in much of Northwest Europe. Rarely are there clear social or chronological differences between burials apart from changing pottery types. The cemetery of Destelbergen stands out because of the relatively high prevalence of monumental ditches surrounding a selection of graves, indicating a certain status difference between the deceased. Strontium concentrations (Sr) combined with radiocarbon (14C) dates and spatial analysis bring to light clear differences between LBA and EIA traditions. The end of the LBA went hand in hand with the abandonment of the oldest part of the cemetery, which new 14C dates demonstrate was strict. Additionally, Sr reveal changing diets in individuals buried centrally within monumental ditches. In the EIA these individuals present significantly lower Sr than the surrounding burials, potentially the result of a diet richer in animal protein at the expense of plant-based food, a distinction not seen in LBA burials. Even though continuity and equality are reflected in the uniform burial tradition seen within urnfields, this paper’s analyses unlock subtle changes in social attitudes between the LBA and EIA and suggest increasing (dietary) social differentiation in the EIA.