Human Remains

If you find human remains, find Cori BEFORE excavating, recording or removing them.

A major aim of the project is to excavate fully the medieval cemetery and to train volunteers in the principles of cemetery excavation and the processing of human remains. Digging human remains is a complicated and time-consuming process but also an exceptionally rich one giving us a viewpoint into past understandings of death, the individual, demography, dietary practices, daily life, health etc. A good overview of what excavating medieval cemeteries can tell us is given by R. Gilchrist and B. Sloane 2005 Requiem: The Medieval Monastic Cemetery in Britain Museum of London Press. In order to carry out this level of analysis, basic information about each skeleton needs to be recorded in the field. The single context recording system allows us to record textually, graphically and by means of photographs, attributes of the grave cut (if detectable), grave fill(s) in close proximity to the skeleton, and the skeleton itself (HRU form). We also carry out basic anthropological analysis in the field to record the position and layout of the skeleton which help us better understand the taphonomic processes at play.

Basic Guidelines

• We excavate the whole of the grave in plan, on the basis of the assumption that the back-fill of the grave occurred as one event.
• The preservation of the human remains is often poor, so it is important to excavate very carefully with small tools (trowel, brushes, dental tools).
• Start excavating at the head end of the grave—so if the grave is aligned east-west the head should be at the west end of the grave. Remove the grave fill in spits from this end.
• Finds in the fill should always be carefully recorded and kept. Always draw the location of any finds in sketch diagram on the scheda. These will usually not date a grave accurately but provide a terminus post quem allowing us to identify chronological periods within the cemetery.
• Be careful when exposing the skull, it is very fragile and will break easily. Do not excavate soil from within the eye sockets, nose, ear or jaw. Once you have exposed the skull, you can work your way down the rest of the remains in sequential order (skull, neck, torso, arms and legs, hands and feet). NB When excavating infants retain as much as the soil from round and underneath the soil to be processed later; block lift neonates.
• Remove as much of the soil as possible to reveal the extent of the bones and associated finds and their position in the ground. Expose the bones well enough to clearly indicate their position and to reveal any fused or pathological bones but cautiously to prevent damage to the bones and their surfaces. Be careful not to remove so much soil that the bones move from their original positions.
• Once the full extent of the skeleton has been fully exposed, record the skeleton as you are instructed. This should include the bones present, body position, head position, grave alignment, associated finds, samples, structures and associated features. Any abnormalities about the body (e.g. spinal or limb deformities) that can be spotted at this stage should be noted and close-up shots taken with a scale. Make a sketch plan of the skeleton, associated finds and grave cut on the rear side of the SU and HRU sheets, and a scale plan of the grave cut (1:50).
• ALL articulated human remains must be photographed, mapped with the total station and fully recorded before being removed.
• Before removing the bones, label bags as follows: cranium; upper limbs left; upper limbs right; spine; ribs; pelvis; lower limbs left; lower limbs right. For a complete skeleton there should be 8 bags. Ensure that all bags have the area, zone, trench, HRU no, date and description.
• The skeleton is now ready to be lifted. At this point you need to remove as much soil as possible (except from the skull) from the bones before removing them from the ground. – Start removing the bones in the same order you excavated them in, starting with the skull and working down. NEVERWRENCH BONES OUT OF THE GROUND.
• When removing the skull, try and remove it with the jaw in one block of earth if possible, and make sure to recover any loose teeth that may be in the surrounding soil.
• When lifting the vertebrae and ribs, remove as much soil as possible from the ribs and the joint between the rib and the vertebra. Starting with the top rib, when it is loose, place your leaf trowel underneath the rib as close to the joint as possible and peel the rib away from the vertebra, gently twisting and pulling it towards you.
• Once all the ribs have been removed, start at the top vertebra. Remember to remove soil from underneath the vertebra—if not enough soil has been removed when you try and lift them, the spines are likely to snap off. Not all vertebrae can be lifted separately. If a block of two or more vertebrae appear to be joined in this way, then lift them in the block. Do not try to force any vertebrae apart.
• Once the bones have been bagged up, place them into a storage box (preferably one HRU per box) and at the end of the day, bring them back to the dig house for analysis.

For further reading

Brothwell, D. R., Digging up bones: the excavation, treatment, and study of human skeletal remains, 3rd rev ed. (1981).

Larsen, C.S. Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Behaviour from the Human Skeleton (1997).

Environmental Archaeological Sampling and Processing

Principles of environmental archaeology

Environmental archaeology is defined as “the study of people and their relationship with the environment through time” (Branch et al., 2005:1). Environmental archaeology can be divided into two sub-fields: (1) Palaeoenvironmental studies, and (2) Palaeoeconomic studies. The first deals with the reconstruction of changes in the human environment over a range of spatial and temporal scales using proxy records, namely sub-fossil pollen, seeds, diatoms (algae) and insects. These sub-fossil remains can be found in numerous archives, both archaeological and geological, including peat bogs, ditches and cesspits. In particular, they provide information on vegetation succession, climate change and land-use. Palaeoeconomic studies deal with the reconstruction of ancient economies and diet using, for example, sub-fossil charred seeds and chaff, charcoal, animal bone and waterlogged/mineralised seeds and wood. These remains can be found in a range of archaeological archives, namely ditches, cesspits, hearths, pits, moats, wells, ovens and furnaces. In particular, they provide information on the daily lives of people, especially diet and nutrition, but also their utilisation and exploitation of a wide range of plant and animal resources (wild, domesticated, cultivated and managed).

Environmental archaeology at Villa Magna

At Villa Magna, both archaeological and geological archives will be investigated to reconstruct the past environment, and past economy and diet. The archive that will be studied to reconstruct the past environment will be a small basin (marsh or peat bog) situated near to the settlement. It is possible that the basin, which is located in a natural, topographic depression within a tributary valley, has become infilled with sediment (mineral and organic) over time because the natural outflow of a stream became blocked. At present, the depth, composition and age of the sedimentary sequence in the basin is unknown. One of the objectives of this year’s fieldwork will be to obtain core samples for laboratory analysis to ascertain the age of the sequence and to reconstruct the past environment. The laboratory analysis will involve radiocarbon dating, pollen, diatoms and plant macrofossil analysis. The archives that will be studied to reconstruct the economy and diet will include postholes, pits and occupation layers. One of objectives of this year’s fieldwork will be to obtain samples for field processing and laboratory analysis to ascertain the age of the features/layers, and the past economy and diet. This will involve collecting bulk samples and processing by flotation to recover charcoal, charred seeds and chaff, and animal bone.

Field methodology

Sampling strategy for the archaeology

Any stratigraphic unit that is well-defined, with minimal contamination, should be considered suitable for sampling. Primary deposits are preferred but it may be difficult to determine if the SU is suitable but if in doubt collect a sample – it can always be discarded later! Bulk samples of a maximum of 40 litres are recommended for each SU. The bulk sample will be collected in heavy duty rubble sacks (not biodegradable bin liners), with four rubble sacks being removed from each SU i.e. ca. 40 litres. Mark the bag with SU number and sample number from the environmental register. If the minimum is not possible the 100% spot sampling is preferred. Samples can be collected by shovel and mattock or by trowel. Try to avoid contamination from other SUs or modern material by only sampling the material definitely from the SU. This may mean less than the 40 litres will be collected, try to collect 10 litres at least.

Sampling strategy for the basin or water feature

Column sampling—these can be taken from a section and wrapped in clingfilm. These are taken for laboratory sampling and further analysis. Place the plastic sample holder (10cm X 5cm X 100cm) vertically on the section, taking the height of top and bottom and marking on back the details. Then carve out the sample from the section face using vertical strokes along the sides of the sample holder. Lay flat and wrap with cling film and sealing with parcel tape at the ends. Mark the column sample with top and base, sample number and depth.

Borehole samples—using a Dutch (open face) gouge or a Russian (chambered) corer sample from surface. Coring is done in stages at the point of deepest sequence until an impenetrable layer is hit. Once the required depth is obtained the sample is retrieved and placed in a sample holder marked with the details. This also allows the shape of the area to be mapped.

Bulk sampling—These can be collected from a sondage (test trench) or section by 5cm spit. Each spit will be collected in a heavy-duty rubble sack marked with the details. Retrieve from the section by Bulk samples can be used for flotation or insect preparation, discussed below.

Basic guideline for processing

Sub-sampling—If necessary take a fist sized subsample from bulk samples for pollen and other techniques. Place in a suitable zip-lock bag marked with context number and sample number marked on the bag.

Flotation—Measure volume by water displacement in graduated buckets. Add the sample to the water in the flotation device and disaggregate. Then float charred remains by adding more water. Collect the residue and dry in a suitable container. Once dried the residue should be sorted for biological and anthropogenic material.

Insect preparation will be done under the supervision of the environmental coordinator.

Wet-sieving—Take a 1.00L sub-sample from any sample that is organically rich, for example peat. Wash over 300micron and 1mm sieves. (Branch et al 2005:122-129).

For further reading

Branch, N., M. Canti, P. Clark, C. Turney, Environmental archaeology: theorectical and practical approaches (2005).

Evans, J. and T. O’Connor, Environmental Archaeology: principles and methods (1999)

Evans, J., Environmental archaeology and the social order (2003).

Lowe, J and M. Walker, Reconstructing quaternary environments, 2nd ed. (1997).

Wilkinson, K. and C. Stevens, Environmental Archaeology: Approaches, techniques and applications (2003).

English Heritage guidelines downloadable from
www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/downloads/cfa_environmental.pdf