Iron Age skeletons buried in a remote corner of Scotland are offering insight into a bizarre combination of funerary practices, from brain removal to bone sharpening. Back in 2000, archaeologists dug up the skeletal remains of two individuals — an adult female and a teenage male — buried within stacks of stones near a body of water at the northwest edge of Scotland. DNA evidence and bone analysis now show how their bodies were treated after death.
A new study published in Antiquity has found signs of post-mortem skeletal modification in one of the two Iron Age individuals, who both likely died between the first centuries B.C.E. and C.E. Ancient DNA from the remains indicates that the two were related, potentially as maternal second cousins, and may have moved together to Loch Borralie in northern Scotland from almost 50 miles to the southeast.
These findings suggest that Iron Age groups in Britain spread complex funerary practices with them as they traveled.
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Processing Bones and a Brain
The two individuals examined in the new study were buried at the Loch Borralie cairn, a low, distributed spread of stones set on a shallow slope. Previous research obtained radiocarbon dates for both individuals from molar teeth, determining that the two passed away some time between 50 B.C.E. and 70 C.E.
The two individuals were likely not buried at the same time, and oddly, bone analysis revealed that their skeletons were treated quite differently.
The adult female (Individual 1) had lesions and bone modifications in three main anatomical regions: the cranium, scapulae, and long bones. A break in the cranium may have occurred at or around the time of death, while cut marks show that someone had been scratching or cutting the cranium with a sharp tool after death. The researchers say that these incisions point to the deliberate removal of the brain before burial.
Additionally, the individual’s long limb bones (humeri, ulna, and femur) were tapered off toward the end, signaling that they also may have been worked at with a sharp tool.
A Sign of Respect
The researchers aren’t exactly sure why the female individual’s skeleton was modified during these funerary practices; the brain may have been removed to clean and preserve the skull for display, and the sharpened bones may have been used as tools themselves. In any case, the researchers lean toward the idea that this individual was highly respected due to the careful assembly of her bones in the cairn.
“The motivation behind the extensive manipulation of the skeletal remains of Individual 1 is very difficult to interpret”, said Laura Castells Navarro, an archaeologist at the University of York, in a statement. “However, the care with which she was reassembled and deposited in the cairn possibly suggests she commanded a level of reverence and respect by her community.”
The juvenile male (Individual 2), between the ages of 14.5 and 15.5 at the time of death, didn’t have the same modifications on his bones; however, he was buried in a more readily identifiable grave cut that was slightly larger than the interment of the adult female.
Spreading Traditions Across Iron Age Scotland
Isotope analysis revealed that the two individuals likely originated from around 50 miles southeast of Loch Borralie. They may have traveled to Loch Borralie as part of a larger group; from their original home, this journey would’ve taken a few days on foot.
Also looking at ancient DNA (aDNA) obtained from inner ear bones, the researchers found that the two were genetically linked to other individuals from the Orkney Islands, about 108 miles northeast of Loch Borralie, and Applecross, about 140 miles southwest. Parallels among Iron Age burials across all three areas demonstrate that communities spread funerary traditions as they moved from place to place.
“More broadly, our research shows that prehistoric maritime communities periodically moved around the north coast and Northern Isles of Scotland, possibly in small groups”, said Castells Navarro. “This movement allowed for the spread and maintenance of cultural practices and traditions.”
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from a study published in Antiquity: Reconnecting the dead in Iron Age Britain: funerary processing and long-distance connectivity at Loch Borralie, Scotland
