Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-10T13:33:04.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Anatomical Study of Cremated Fragments from Archaeological Sites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2014

T. F. Spence
T. F. Spence
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, University of Birmingham
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Cremated remains, usually interred in urns, most commonly occur in cemeteries dating from the latter part of the Bronze Age, the closing phase of the Pre-Roman Iron Age and the Pagan Saxon period. Although such remains are fragmentary, they are now recognized as providing a basis, after appropriate treatment and anatomical study, for assessing the numbers of individuals cremated, together with their age and sex (Gejvall, 1947). Sometimes, additional information can be gleaned about endemic pathological conditions (Lisowski, 1955).

The physical characteristics of the cremated remains vary from site to site, depending, as discussed by Gejvall (1963), on such factors as the method used in cremation, the firing temperature, and the extent of any subsequent pulverisation—natural or artificial. But despite the fact that there is always a large proportion of unidentifiable fragments, there are invariably certain parts, often of appreciable size, which can be recognized. It is from these fragments, when separated, that information about the number of individuals present, together with their sex and age can be obtained.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 33 , February 1968 , pp. 70 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1968

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Brothwell, D. R., 1963. Digging up Bones. London, British Museum.Google Scholar
Gejvall, N. G., 1947. Bestamning av brända ben franforntida graver, Fornvannen. Stockholm, H.I.Google Scholar
Gejvall, N. G., 1963. Cremations. In Science in Archaeology. Eds. Brothwell, D. and Higgs, H.London: Thames & Hudson.Google Scholar
Gejvall, N. G. and Sahlstrom, K. E., 1948. ‘Gravfältet på Kyrkbacken i Horns socken Vastergottland II’, Antropologisk del Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens Handlingar. Stockholm Del., vol. 60, 2.Google Scholar
Lisowski, F. P., 1955. The cremations from the Culdoich, Leys and Kinchyle sites’, Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot., vol. 89, 83.Google Scholar
Lisowski, F. P., 1956. The cremations from Berclodiad y Gawres. In Barclodiady Gawres by Powell, T. G. E. and Daniel, G. E., Liverpool.Google Scholar
Spence, T. F., 1962. ‘The repair of bones in monkeys, apes and man’, J. Inst. Set. Technol., vol. 8, 1.Google Scholar
Wheeler, R. C., 1962. An atlas of tooth form. 3rd Ed. London: Saunders.Google Scholar