Key facts
- Marks on a female Iron Age skeleton suggest manipulation of the cranium, potentially for brain removal.
- Analysis of long bones indicates they were whittled into sharp tools and used as such.
- The manipulated bones were returned to the grave in their original anatomical positions.
- Genetic and isotopic data suggest a close familial relationship between the female and a young male buried separately.
- Both individuals likely originated from a coastal environment before relocating.
New research suggests that Iron Age Britons may have practiced postmortem manipulation of the dead, including the removal of brains and the repurposing of bones as tools. Analysis of a female skeleton revealed marks on the cranium that the study authors interpret as consistent with brain removal, though other archaeologists remain unconvinced.
Furthermore, four of the woman’s long bones exhibited marks previously identified as rodent gnawing. However, the researchers concluded these marks were more likely made by a sharp implement, with three bones whittled to a sharp edge and one worn down through use as a tool. Remarkably, all four bones were placed back in the grave in their correct anatomical positions.
Genetic analysis of a separate, young male individual buried in the same cairn indicated he was between 14.5 and 15.5 years old at death and possibly a maternal second cousin to the woman. Isotope analysis suggested both individuals spent their early lives in a coastal environment, likely the east coast of Sutherland, before moving to the Loch Borralie area. While not buried at the same time, their genetic and isotopic profiles highlight interconnectedness between maritime communities.
The authors concluded that the treatment of the woman's bones demonstrates that the Iron Age dead maintained a strong presence in the world of the living, even if their archaeological remains are sparse.