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Stonehenge and Middle to Late Neolithic Cremation Rites in Mainland Britain (c.3500-2500 BC)
Christina Willis
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Neolithic Britain is characterised by its wide diversity in funerary and mortuary rites. However, a shift c.3500BC led to a rise in cremation burials associated with circular monuments and by c.3000BC, cremation was the dominant funerary rite. This book provides a comprehensive re-analysis of 628 cremation deposits from 84 sites across mainland Britain, including those from Stonehenge. It offers new insights and interpretations relating to a shift in social organisation and belief structures, and uses up-to-date methodology to discuss osteological, archaeological and chronological data. Together, this research suggests that cremation was specifically selected for certain members of society, and it also raises new questions about mobility and the role women played within the prehistoric landscape.
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Front Cover
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Title
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Copyright
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Of Related Interest
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Acknowledgements
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Contents
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List of Figures
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List of Tables
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Abstract
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1. Introduction
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1.1. Research context and constraints
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1.2. Recent advances in cremation studies
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1.3. Brief overview of the cremation process in archaeology
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1.4. Brief overview of radiocarbon dating cremated human remains
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1.5. Brief overview of analysing strontium isotopes in cremated bone
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1.6. Terminology
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2. The Spread of Cremation Rites from Mainland Europe to Britain
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2.1. The European Mesolithic (c.8000–4000 cal BC)
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2.1.1. Mesolithic cremation burial in Iberia, France and Belgium
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2.1.2. Mesolithic cremation burial in Ireland
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2.1.3. Mesolithic cremation burial in Britain
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2.1.4. Mesolithic cremation burial elsewhere in Europe: a brief review
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2.2. The European Neolithic (c.5600–3000 cal BC)
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2.2.1. Neolithic cremation burial in Iberia, France and Belgium
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2.2.2. Neolithic cremation burial in Ireland
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2.3. Summary of the spread of cremation rites
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3. Neolithic Mortuary Rites Associated with Monuments in Britain (c.4000–2500 BC)
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3.1. The Early Neolithic (c.4000–3500 BC)
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3.1.1. Early Neolithic inhumations and monument construction
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3.1.2. Early Neolithic cremations and associated monuments
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3.2. The Middle Neolithic (c.3500–3000 BC)
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3.2.1. Middle Neolithic inhumations and associated monuments
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3.2.2. Middle Neolithic cremation cemeteries and associated monuments
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3.3. The Late Neolithic (c.3000–2500 BC)
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3.3.1. Late Neolithic inhumations and associated monuments
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3.3.2. Late Neolithic cremation cemeteries and associated monuments
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3.4. The ‘lost’ cremation cemeteries
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3.4.1. Duggleby Howe
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3.4.2. Cairnpapple
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3.5. The arrival of Beaker inhumation rites (c.2500 BC)
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3.6. Summary of Neolithic mortuary rites associated with monuments in Britain
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4. ‘Other’ Neolithic Burial Deposits
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4.1. The Early Neolithic (c.4000–3500 BC)
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4.1.1. Non-monumental Early Neolithic inhumations
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4.1.2. Non-monumental Early Neolithic cremations
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4.2. The Middle Neolithic (c.3500–3000 BC)
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4.2.1. Non-monumental Middle Neolithic inhumations
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4.2.2. Non-monumental Middle Neolithic cremations
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4.3. The Late Neolithic (c.3000–2500 BC)
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4.3.1. Non-monumental Late Neolithic inhumations
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4.3.2. Non-monumental Late Neolithic cremations
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4.3.3. Other forms of deposition
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4.4. Summary of ‘other’ Neolithic burial deposits
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5. Methods
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5.1. Recording and pyre technology
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5.1.1. Cleaning
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5.1.2. Total weight
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5.1.3. Preservation and completeness
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5.1.4. Dehydration: shrinkage, warping and fissuring
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5.1.5. Bone fragmentation
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5.1.6. Bone colouration
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5.1.7. Identification of skeletal elements
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5.1.8. Pyre goods and pyre debris
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5.2. Recording demographic data
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5.2.1. Minimum number of individuals (MNI)
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5.2.2. Age at death
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5.2.3. Biological sex
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5.2.4. Pathological data
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5.2.5. Radiocarbon dating
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6. Stonehenge
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6.1. Introduction to Stonehenge
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6.1.1. Brief summary of the previous excavations at Stonehenge
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6.2. The Aubrey Holes of Stonehenge
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6.3. Excavation of Aubrey Hole 7
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6.4. Osteological analysis
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6.4.1. Weight
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6.4.2. Fragment size
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6.4.3. Colour and efficiency
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6.4.4. Completeness and preservation
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6.4.5. Pyre technology
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6.4.6. Minimum number of individuals (MNI)
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6.4.7. Age at death
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6.4.8 Biological sex
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6.4.9. Pathological lesions
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6.4.10. Radiocarbon dating and strontium isotope results
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7. Mortuary Remains: Selected Case Studies
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7.1. The selection of case study sites
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7.2. Middle Neolithic archaeological sites (c.3500–3000 BC)
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7.2.1. Case study #1: Imperial College Sports Ground
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7.2.2. Case study #2: Dorchester-on-Thames
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7.2.3. Case study #3: Bryn Celli Ddu
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7.2.4. Case study #4: Llandegai Henge A
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7.2.5. Case study #5: West Stow
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7.3. Late Neolithic archaeological sites (c. 3000–2500BC)
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7.3.1. Case study #6: Forteviot
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7.3.2. Case study #7: Ferrybridge
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7.3.3. Cast study #8: Balbirnie
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8. Analysis and Synthesis of Middle and Late Neolithic Cremated Human Remains
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8.1. Methodological approaches
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8.1.1. The database
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8.1.2. The analysis
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8.1.3. The osteological samples
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8.1.4. Problems and limitations
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8.2. Analysis of the demographic data from Neolithic cremated remains
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8.2.1. Minimum number of individuals (MNI) and spatial organisation
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8.2.2. Age at death
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8.2.3. Biological sex
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8.3. Analysis of the cremation process and pyre technology
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8.3.1. Fragment size and fragmentation
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8.3.2. Dehydration, fissuring, warping and other heat-induced bone modifications
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8.3.3 Pyre temperature and preservation
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8.3.4. Pyre debris
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8.3.5. Grave goods and inclusions
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8.3.6. Deposit weight
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8.4. The radiocarbon dates
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8.4.1. Radiocarbon dates for all Middle Neolithic cremated remains
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8.4.2. Radiocarbon dates for all Late Neolithic cremated remains
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9. Discussion
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9.1. The ‘missing’ dead
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9.2. The identities of those selected for cremation burial
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9.3. The nature of deposition and the importance of ‘token deposits’
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9.4. Cremations associated with circular monuments
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9.5. The destructive and transforming properties of fire
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10. Future Directions and Closing Remarks
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10.1. Future directions
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10.1.1. Systematic review
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10.1.2. Population dynamics
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10.1.3. Radiocarbon dating
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10.1.4. Strontium stable isotopes
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10.1.5. Location of cremation deposits and the purposes of isolated pits
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10.1.6. Grave goods and inclusions
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10.2. Closing remarks
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References
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Appendix 1: Cremated Human Remains Recording Form
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Appendix 2: Dataset Summary
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Back Cover
Citable Link
Published: 2021
Publisher: BAR Publishing
- 9781407358352 (ebook)
- 9781407358345 (paper)
BAR Number: B668