Woven into the stuff of other men's lives : the treatment of the dead in Iron Age Atlantic Scotland
Atlantic Scotland provides plentiful and often dramatic evidence for settlement during the Iron Age but, like much of Europe, very little is known of the funerary traditions of communities in this region. Formal burial appears to have been rare, and evidence for alternative mortuary treatments is dispersed, varied and, to date, poorly understood. This study sets out to examine for the first time all human remains dating to the Iron Age in Atlantic Scotland, found in a variety of contexts ranging from formal cemeteries to occupied domestic sites. This data-set, despite its limitations, forms the basis for a new understanding of funerary treatment and daily life in later prehistoric Atlantic Scotland, signifying the development of an extraordinary range of different methods of dealing with, and harnessing the power of, the dead during this period. This information in turn can contribute to wider issues surrounding attitudes to the dead, religious belief, domestic life and the nature of society in Iron Age Europe.
Tucker, Fiona Catherine
Archaeology ; Iron Age ; Scotland ; Death ; Funeral rites ; Domestic ritual ; Settlement ; Human skeletal remains ; Atlantic coast
Woven into the stuff of other men's lives : the treatment of the dead in Iron Age Atlantic Scotland. Atlantic Scotland provides plentiful and often dramatic evidence for settlement during the Iron Age but, like much of Europe, very little is known of the funerary traditions of communities in this region. Formal burial appears to have been rare, and evidence for alternative mortuary treatments is dispersed, varied and, to date, poorly understood. This study sets out to examine for the first time all human remains dating to the Iron Age in Atlantic Scotland, found in a variety of contexts ranging from formal cemeteries to occupied domestic sites. This data-set, despite its limitations, forms the basis for a new understanding of funerary treatment and daily life in later prehistoric Atlantic Scotland, signifying the development of an extraordinary range of different methods of dealing with, and harnessing the power of, the dead during this period. This information in turn can contribute to wider issues surrounding attitudes to the dead, religious belief, domestic life and the nature of society in Iron Age Europe.
woven stuff men life treatment_dead iron age atlantic_scotland atlantic_scotland provide plentiful often dramatic evidence settlement iron_age like much europe little_known funerary tradition community region formal_burial appear rare evidence alternative mortuary treatment disperse vary date poorly_understood study set_examine first_time human_remain date iron age atlantic_scotland find variety context range formal cemetery occupy domestic_site data_set despite limitation form_basis new funerary_treatment daily_life later_prehistoric atlantic_scotland signify development extraordinary range_different method deal harness power dead period information turn contribute wide_issue surround attitude dead religious_belief domestic_life nature society iron_age europe