31st October 2017: ...inserted into the rubbly cairn around the edge of the mound the team discovered an Early Bronze Age burial cist. A cist is a kind of stone grave that was usually built to receive a burial.
Dr Rachel Crellin, the project co-director said:’It was really exciting to find the cist this summer on the site and confirm that what we were digging was indeed a prehistoric burial site.
’We carefully excavated the cist to reveal a Collared urn within. Collared urns are a kind of Early Bronze Age pottery vessel. Like most other examples the urn was turned upside down so that its rim was placed on the floor of the cist.
’We lifted the vessel and the soil that surrounded it as a single block, wrapping it in bandages and plastic to hold it together, and took it to the museum to await excavation in controlled conditions by an expert.’
Last week, Rachel, along with project osteologist Michelle Gamble and Rachel carried out the excavation.
The careful process revealed that the vessel had collapsed inwards on itself over time but protected within the base of the urn were numerous small fragments of cremated bone.
Most of the base of the vessel has been preserved and the rim is decorated with triangles and herringbone designs.
Michelle’s analysis confirms the bones belong to an infant who was under 18 months old when they died.
Some of the cranial fragments showed signs of significant porosity which suggests the individual may have suffered from a disease such as anaemia or another nutritional deficiency.
More here, with photos:
http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=36675
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