An Early Bronze Age Log-Coffin Burial

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Deposited in DRO: 03 August 2011 Version of attached le: Published Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Melton, N. and Montgomery, J. and Knusel, C.J. and Batt, C. and Needham, S. and Pearson, M.P. and Sheridan, A. and Heron, C. and Horsley, T. and Schmidt, A. and Evans, A. and Carter, E. and Edwards, H. and Hargreaves, M. and Janaway, R. and Lynnerup, N. and Northover, P. and O'Connor, S. and Ogden, A. and Taylor, T. and Wastling, V. and Wilson, A. (2010) 'Gristhorpe Man : an early Bronze Age log-con burial scientically dened.', Antiquity., 84 (325). pp. 796-815. Further information on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00100237

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Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LY, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)191 334 3042 | Fax : +44 (0)191 334 2971 https://dro.dur.ac.uk Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined Nigel Melton1∗, Janet Montgomery1, Christopher J. Knusel¨ 2, Cathy Batt1, Stuart Needham3, Mike Parker Pearson4, Alison Sheridan5, Carl Heron1, Tim Horsley6, Armin Schmidt1, Adrian Evans1, Elizabeth Carter7, Howell Edwards8, Michael Hargreaves8,RobJanaway1, Niels Lynnerup9, Peter Northover10, Sonia O’Connor1,AlanOgden1, Timothy Taylor1, Vaughan Wastling1 &AndrewWilson1 A log-coffin excavated in the early nineteenth century proved to be well enough preserved in the early twenty-first century for the full armoury of modern scientific investigation to give its occupants and contents new identity, new origins and a new date. In many ways the interpretation is much the same as before: a local big man buried looking out to sea. Modern analytical techniques can create a person more real, more human and more securely anchored in history. This research team shows how.

Keywords: Gristhorpe, Early Bronze Age, log-coffin burials, elite´ status, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope, metallurgy 1 Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK 2 Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK 3 Honorary Research Fellow, Archaeology & Numismatics, National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff, UK 4 Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET, UK 5 National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK 6 University of Michigan, Museum of Anthropology, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079, USA 7 Vibrational Spectroscopy Facility, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, NSW, Australia 8 Centre for Astrobiology & Extremophile Research, Division of Chemical & Forensic Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK 9 Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark 10 Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Begbroke Science Park, Sandy Lane, Yarnton, Oxford OX5 1PF, UK ∗ Author for correspondence (Email: [email protected])

Received: 16 October 2009; Accepted: 27 November 2009; Revised: 2 February 2010

ANTIQUITY 84 (2010): 796–815 http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/084/ant0840796.htm 796 iue1 lnsoigtelcto fteGitop log- Gristhorpe the of location burial. the coffin showing Plan 1. Figure Snowden (Scarborough K. Weddell 1932; Thomas wired Harland 1834; and and for articulated Harland Book subsequently William Minute Society was doctors Philosophical skeleton local conserved The by was glue. body, display of bog for a solution together of a the manner in with the it and They in side, too simmering black recovered 1). right by stained were (Figure goods was its grave which clifftop on inorganic skeleton, and the complete laid Organic on the east. skeleton facing three and flexed barrow south of a the The group to containing head 44). a log-coffin in 1896: intact prominent (Williamson an most Yorkshire recovered and North barrow Filey, central a opened the of friends was of north group just a and Gristhorpe, landowner, local at the Beswick, William 1834 July In burials log-coffin Age Britain Bronze in Early and discovery Gristhorpe The onWlimo,sitypbihdarpr:Gitop a a oeflybit over built, powerfully was Man Gristhorpe report: a published swiftly 2). (Figure Williamson, since John storage ever in display period on brief remained a have for they War, except World where, Second Museum the Scarborough during the to donated were finds aua htBiihatqaissol unt h niute fDnak n opr them compare and Denmark, of countries’ it antiquities own renders their islands, the of British to those the turn with and should Denmark antiquaries between British existed Worsaae’s that time natural of old translation in English which connection his Denmark‘close published of Thoms antiquities when primeval that in The meant example finds Danish Danish the the alongside illustrated and Tidsskrift Antiqvarisk 118), 2007: (Rowley-Conwy Bjolderup ila rwodWlimo,te1-erodsno croog uemcurator Museum Scarborough of son 17-year-old the Williamson, Crawford William i tedneadspota h rshreMnssina h AFsia fScience of Festival BA appreciated. greatly the project. were at this 2006 volume session in in Man 1960 interest Gristhorpe Norwich classic active the in the an at of support took and author who Britain’, attendance Ashbee, in His Paul Barrow Dr Round late Age Bronze the ‘The to dedicated is paper This rpoue nJne 98 0.Teprevdcoecneto with connection close perceived The 40). 1998: Jensen in (reproduced Wraetas 89 v.Tos rnlto fWorsaae’s of translation Thoms’ iv). 1849: trans. (Worsaae ie Melton Nigel n14,h i oi osa’ ttdble htthe that belief stated Worsaae’s in so did he 1849, in 797 h o-ofi on tToppehoj, at to found compared log-coffin was the the at 1836 coffin in noted and discovery, Gristhorpe its were of time log-coffins the Danish and in Britannica featured subsequently skull The people’ for uncivilized him fit office’ important self-esteem, to necessary and traits perseverance personal destructiveness, firmness, his in and identify combativeness, to then qualities: age, used phrenology, was 1834). of advanced vogue, (Williamson technique of chief The Brigantian and a tall 6ft tal. et aall ewe h rshrecoffin Gristhorpe the between Parallels Dvs&Tumn1865). Thurman & (Davis n to and Wlimo 84 16). 1834: (Williamson oeaeawl and wild a ‘overawe es comm. pers. hg and ‘high Crania .The ).

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

Figure 2. The Gristhorpe ﬁnds on display (centre, back) in the Rotunda Museum in the late nineteenth century (courtesy of Scarborough Museums Trust).

1843 work, which helped to make Thomsen’s ‘Three Age System’ readily available in Britain, used as the prime example of such comparisons the Gristhorpe coffin and its contents, quoting Williamson’s 1834 report in detail (Thoms, Preface to Worsaae trans. 1849: xi–xix). The Three Age System itself was developed in 1819, published in Danish in 1836 and translated into English in 1848. This fundamental advance in understanding enabled Williamson to revise his report 38 years later, assigning the coffin and its contents to the Early Bronze Age and distinguishing them from similar finds made in Denmark which he correctly identified as being of later Bronze Age date (Williamson 1872). The Gristhorpe log-coffin burial is one of 75 recorded in Britain that range in date from the twenty-third to seventeenth centuries cal BC (Parker Pearson et al. forthcoming). Although no certain example is known from Ireland, they are found throughout Britain from Scotland to the south coast and from East Anglia to Wales. Log-coffin burial was also practised during the Early Bronze Age in The Netherlands, Germany and Central Europe (Harding 2000: 105–107; Drenth & Lohof 2005: 439–40). Within Britain, three particular concentrations occur, in Wessex, Yorkshire and eastern England (the East Midlands and East Anglia). Intriguingly, large expanses within two if not all three of these regions were substantially lacking in mature woodland by the Early Bronze Age (French 2003; French et al. 2007), so the distribution of log-coffin burials does not necessarily reflect availability of supplies of suitable timber. Gristhorpe is one of three Bronze Age log-coffins in Britain to have survived intact to the present day, the two others being from Disgwylfa Fawr, near Ponterwyd, Ceredigion

798 n h rsneo sie rcelcriaernsta ilasnhdmsdnie a a (as (5 an misidentified 178.27cm had is for the between Williamson used modification This that (following possibly rings enthesial 1986). death ring cartilage infra-cranial horn Loth his tracheal broken age-related ossified & of of of time Iscan presence being extent the the 1985; life, and at the Lovejoy of older by & prime much strengthened Meindl the probably assessment 1981; attained and Brothwell had years of who 45 methods to male 36 active least physically at a was Man Gristhorpe osteobiography an Man’: ‘Gristhorpe Scotland Dumglow, Bertie D. and (Phillips 102-3; Dalrigh 85, Sussex 83, Hove, Cairngall, 1996: from (Mowat 1767); coffins (Hutchins the Dorset include Stoborough, These fragments. 1856); as just subsequently have survive but discovery or upon perished intact found were log-coffins Many 22). 1980: (Savory n ofimdb etecvto.Terslssgetanwcnetfrtebra n the and Sea. burial North the the for of context side new British the a on suggest log-coffins results original methods of The geophysical use The excavation. using provenance. test located by and also confirmed diet were and dating, excavation nineteenth-century for its techniques and modern barrow using goods, grave and 2005; Larsson & Kristiansen 1993; (Frank Age Bronze 2009). such Early Needham becoming the were during that others force networks social while interaction major hunting, maritime a and the cases forestry with in to associations connected had and, had roles have have shape may status may material, with individuals woodland Some of to sea. basis ties the the overlooking specialist location on grave’s the identified Gristhorpe, be as woodland can such with after boats associations with Symbolic heyday distinction. occasionally some and their of predominant individuals of in gaves the the clearly probably although were 2005), innovation Log-coffins Needham an Vessels. as 2, BC. Food appear cal (Period 2000 are graves period single associations Beaker for millennium ceramic climax log-coffins fourth the the earliest from the in known whereas are in onwards, former log-coffins The and BC coffins 1969). plank-built (Petersen between circumstances differentiate to such difficult but be elm, can of It be excavation. to reported oak. was of two been latter have to the Stoke, appear of Winterbourne others One from the 122-4). two 1812: and Hoare Yorkshire; (Colt North Wiltshire 375-7), 1877: (Greenwell Rylstone ewe 98gad7.k uigtemtoso Ruff ranging of estimate, methods mass body the A (using 2006). 74.6kg (Wastling group and the standard 69.8kg a for nearly between and mean (161.6-185.3cm) range the stature from the Raxter of deviation end (cf. top Fully the at accurate is Man more Gristhorpe the Taking height (mean 1sd). barrows Age Bronze 5.0cm Early compared from Age individuals Bronze other Early of the statures for the height with average above of was he respectively), [1956], Fully Grine u eeaiaino rshreMnrpre eeicue h nlsso h skeleton the of analysis the included here reported Man Gristhorpe of re-examination Our were goods grave observable without log-coffins those even that made be can case good A careful through only recognisable stains soil as recorded been have log-coffins Most tal. et 95,sget oyms ne fruhy2,wihi ntehato the of heart the in is which 22, roughly of index mass body a suggests 1995), 10 n 8.c (6 181.2cm and ) fseigalgtscarf’ light a ‘fastening ie Melton Nigel es comm. pers. 799 uigteeutoso rte 17]and [1970] Trotter of equations the (using ) tal. et ;LoeHw Ege&Ege14)and 1949) Elgee & (Elgee Howe Loose ); tal. et Wlimo 84 ].Standing 9]). 1834: [Williamson tal. et 06 euto 178.27cm, of result 2006) 91 cer 1992; McHenry 1991; = 174.5 − +

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

Table 1. The measurements and values used to assess humeral bilateral asymmetry. Humeral measurement Right (mm) Left (mm) % asymmetry

Maximum transverse head diameter 49 48 2.62 % Maximum breadth of the greater tubercle 34 34 0 % Minimum circumference of the humeral shaft 65 60 8 % Epicondylar breadth 67 63 6.2 % Articular breadth 49 47 4.1 % Maximum length 336 330 1.8 %

Table 2. The measurements and values obtained to assess clavicular asymmetry. Clavicle Right (mm) Left (mm) % asymmetry

Maximum length 155 159 – 2.55 % Sagittal diameter at midshaft 14 13 7.41 % Vertical diameter at midshaft 10 9.5 6.67%

normal range of 19 to 25 of modern standards (Frisancho 1993: 428). The maximum bi-iliac breadth method (Ruff 2000) suggests a body mass index of between about 24 and 25, which falls towards the upper end of the normal range of 19 to 25 of modern standards (Frisancho 1993: 428). The estimates of body mass are based on articular surface measurements that are set at physiological maturity (Ruff et al. 1991), when growth ceases. This means that in his prime, Gristhorpe Man possessed a lithe, muscular build that would be considered healthy by modern standards. Some form of strenuous physical activity involving extension, abduction and lateral rotation of the hip resulted in bilateral third trochanters and marked hypotrochanteric fossae on the posterior surfaces of the femora, a combination of physical changes indicative of strenuous activity of the hips and lower limbs. Comparing favourably with the previously analysed and very robust Towton medieval combatants (Knusel¨ 2000), Gristhorpe Man appears to have been right-handed and strongly lateralised, indicating that he engaged in activities requiring strenuous use of his dominant right upper limb (Tables 1 & 2). This could have been from weapon use, although other activities requiring the use of a single hand, technological or subsistence-linked, could also have contributed to this asymmetry. Gristhorpe Man’s origins and diet were investigated using a combination of stable isotope measurements. Strontium, lead and phosphate oxygen isotope ratios from the mandibular second molar tooth enamel, which mineralises between the ages of two and a half and eight (Gustafson & Koch 1974), are all consistent with origins on the Jurassic silicate rocks of the Scarborough region but not Jurassic limestones or the Cretaceous Chalk of the Wolds (Montgomery 2002; Darling et al. 2003; Montgomery et al. 2005; Evans et al. 2010) (Table 3). The results cannot rule out origins in other regions of Europe where a similar combination of values might be found, but the most parsimonious explanation for such results is that he spent his childhood in north-east Yorkshire.Childhood (second molar

800 Table 3. Lead, strontium and oxygen isotope data.

206 204 1 207 204 208 204 207 206 208 206 87 86 218 318 4 Sample Material Pb ppm Pb/ Pb Pb/ Pb Pb/ Pb Pb/ Pb Pb/ Pb Sr ppm Sr/ Sr Obp‰ Odw‰

Dagger Bronze 18.2428 15.6308 38.2600 0.85684 2.09736 Melton Nigel Second molar enamel 0.003 18.45 15.63 38.44 0.847 2.083 66.3 0.710689 17.2 −+0.18 –7.8 −+0.4 dentine 173.9 0.710619 801

1 + 208 204 + 207 204 + 206 204 External reproducibility for the dagger measured by MC-ICP-MS at NIGL, Keyworth: −0.0124% for Pb/ Pb; −0.0108% for Pb/ Pb; −0.0078% for Pb/ Pb;

+ 207 206 + 208 206 al. et −0.0043% for Pb/ Pb; −0.0068% for Pb/ Pb 2σ and data are normalised and errors propagated to within run measurements of NBS 981. For the tooth measured by + 208 204 + 207 204 + 206 204 + 207 206 + 208 206 TIMS: −0.15% for Pb/ Pb; −0.11% for Pb/ Pb; −0.07% for Pb/ Pb; −0.04% for Pb/ Pb and −0.08% for Pb/ Pb (2σ ,n=19). 2 + External reproducibility was estimated at −0.004% (2σ ). 3 + External and sample reproducibility for phosphate oxygen measurements was estimated at −0.18 (1σ ). 4Calculated using Levinson’s equation (Levinson et al. 1987) after correction for the difference between the average published values for NBS120C and NBS120B used by Levinson (Chenery et al. 2010).

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

Table 4. Carbon and nitrogen isotope data. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope measurements were undertaken by continuous-ﬂow isotope ratio mass spectrometry at the Stable Light Isotope Facility, University of Bradford. ‘Small fraction’ refers to the collagenous proteins that go through the ultraﬁlter and hence have a molecular weight less than 30 000. Analytical error determined from repeat measurements of internal and international standards was 0.2 per mil or better.

Sample d13Cd15N%C%NC/Nn

Femur − surface removed −21.2 10.7 44.7 16.4 3.2 2 Femur − surface removed repeat −21.2 10.8 43.6 16.1 3.2 2 Femur − surface removed small fraction −21.3 10.6 42.3 15.2 3.2 2 Femur − surface removed small fraction repeat −21.4 10.7 42.3 15.1 3.2 2 Femur surface − small fraction −21.4 10.5 40.3 13.5 3.4 2 Femur surface − small fraction repeat −21.7 10.5 40.0 13.1 3.6 1 Bone ‘dust’ −21.6 10.5 45.0 15.6 3.4 1 Bone ‘dust’ − small fraction −21.1 10.7 40.6 14.3 3.3 2 Bone ‘dust’ − small fraction repeat −21.2 10.7 41.4 14.4 3.2 1 Mean of bone −21.3 10.6 42.2 14.8 3.3 1sd 0.2 0.1 1.9 1.1 0.1 Tooth dentine from second molar −21.0 11.3 45.0 16.9 3.1 2 ‘Brain’ −23.6 11.7 54.9 8.1 7.9 2 Beeswax from inside the cranium −26.8 n/a 81.8 0.1 n/a 2

root dentine) and later life (cortical femur) diet were investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of collagen (Table 4). Both provide a similar result: δ15N = 11.3‰ (dentine) and 10.7‰ (femur); δ13C = –21.0‰ (dentine) and –21.1‰ (femur). This indicates that his diet contained a substantial amount of protein of terrestrial origin from an early age, placing him at the upper end of the range for other East Yorkshire and British Late Neolithic and Bronze Age individuals (Jay & Richards 2007; Jay et al. in press). Relatively reduced dental wear and lack of enamel hypoplastic lines (the presence of which would indicate a stressed growth period) and robust skeletal development testify to an individual who beneﬁted from good nutrition and a diet that contained cariogenic foodstuffs from birth (as suggested by the presence of dental caries). Three small, spherical objects, c. 5mm in diameter, originally thought to have been ‘mistletoe berries’, were found in the cofﬁn (Williamson 1834, 1872). The chemical composition of one of these was investigated by Raman Spectroscopy. The Raman spectra from the outer surface and inner core revealed the presence of peaks typically associated with phosphate and degraded protein (Edwards et al. in press). Their composition is similar to modern kidney or gallstone calculus, a result that is consistent with his age-at-death and also high nitrogen values associated with a meat-based diet that would have predisposed him to suffer these abdominal stones during his advanced years (cf. Blackman et al. 1991). Brachycrany (cranial index of 82.7), typical for the Bronze Age, as well as his height and strong build, with isotope evidence for a high-protein diet, support the hypothesis that Gristhorpe Man was probably a member of an elite from birth. The presence of traumatic injuries – two healed fractures of left ribs six and nine (Figure 3), and damage to

802 iue4 ue etaohsa onso evclvrere3 vertebrae Wastling). V. cervical (photograph: of 4 joints and apophyseal left Fused 4. Figure in – 4) syndesmophyte (Figure large a fusion and joint bodies apophyseal vertebral of left osteophytes in degenerative vertebral resulted to that addition three and two vertebrae cervical Wastling). V. (photograph: ribs (b) ninth and (a) sixth the of fractures Healed 3. Figure nti oainmyhv a eaiua osqecspirt et,rnigfrom ranging (Aufderheide seizure death, and consciousness to impaired Rodr to & prior weakness) increased muscle consequences comprehension) (i.e. speech lesion the and behavioural hemiparesis A speech and impaired 5), had function. (i.e. aphasia cerebral have (Figure vomiting, on headaches, may region intermittent impact location an parieto-temporal had this anterior probably in which left from the pressure intra-cranial in tumour cranial ´ ıguez-Mart ´ n19:205;D Angelis De 250–51; 1998: ın ie Melton Nigel 803 eeoigitaosos einintra- slowly benign a intra-osseous, from life, his developing suffered of Man much for Gristhorpe evidence advantage physical social be his for and despite to physique that, healthy surfaces revealed and articular dissection. examined enabled virtual and This obtain visualisation to scanning 3D CT skeleton for the submitted with, was interfered be not the could into and molars antrum. maxillary maxillary left formation. the above cyst resulting formed had and cyst incisors large roots a Furthermore, tooth central dead trauma lower in he of the (caries), episodes to further In disease suffered age. dental had of advanced to effects and addition the rigours to ﬁrst physical the attests of vertebra, side sacral right the from extending tal. et tal. et ic h ieenhcnuywiring nineteenth-century the Since 02 68). 2002:

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

Figure 5. Sagittal CT slice revealing the extent of the osteolytic area, measuring 25–30mm in extent, once occupied by the intra-cranial tumour.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was undertaken on a small (1–2mg) sample of black material contained in a vial labelled ‘brain’. Although lipid analysis of degraded brain tissue from archaeological contexts is uncommon (Gulacara¨ et al. 1990), analysis revealed the presence of stanols and stanones in high abundance including coprostanol (5β–cholestanol), epicoprostanol and coprostanone (5β–cholestan–3–one). These are microbial alteration products of cholesterol. The brain is the most cholesterol- rich organ in the human body. Cholesterol is the only sterol present in the adult human brain and accounts for 25 per cent of total lipid of the tissue (Norton 1981). Although no cholesterol was present in the Gristhorpe sample, the abundance of cholesterol alteration products suggests that the sample could indeed be remnant brain tissue. Stable isotope analysis supports this interpretation: the nitrogen isotope ratio obtained from the black material (δ15N = 11.7‰) is very similar to that obtained from the tooth dentine (δ15N = 11.3‰), whilst the carbon isotope ratio (δ13C = –23.6‰)is2.6‰ more negative than that for the dentine (δ13C = –21.0‰). This situation would be consistent with the expected carbon isotope ratio offset between collagen and a fatty, lipid rich tissue such as the brain (Jim et al. 2004).

804 n w itflks )abr otie,fudbsd h oy )asalwooden small a originally The 4) phalanges, weasel. body; marten a the knife pine from a and beside as metatarsal 2) found Buckland fox pommel; container, William 5) and by bark and blade identified a fastener; dagger a 3) a probably flakes; 1) object, flint comprise: two These recorded. and not mostly burial. were before tanned, perhaps treated, been had it because survived have iue6 h avd‘ae ntecfnld(htgah N. (photograph: lid coffin the on Melton). ‘face’ carved The 6. Figure 2.29 the discovery, On goods grave and coffin The icse,nwbe dnie sosfidtaha atlg ig n inystones kidney and rings cartilage tracheal ossified as identified above). (see been now discussed, or 1834) (Williamson freape e rnel14) nytecfnld hc o esrs2.26 More measures shape. 1949) now ‘canoe’ Elgee which a lid, & it coffin (Elgee the give Howe Only to Loose 1941). and end at Grinsell base southern) see found the example, (i.e. been but (for head end, have the northern) examples at (i.e. canoe-shaped foot off explicitly the rounded at been cut had square lid roughly was It preservation. of hr sn akpeeto h avd‘ae n nae ffltee awo n slightly a and sapwood flattened of area an and ‘face’ carved the 6). (Figure 5–6). on indicate wood present 1834: to surrounding bark (Williamson possibly the no inside from flares, is it which body There distinguishes cut the which a of and by 2007), head surrounded (Maron the is shoulders to degraded, end much now opposite carving, the This at i.e. lid, the of survives. eea te bet copne h ope notntl,teroiia positions original their unfortunately, corpse; the accompanied objects other Several n13 h xaaosietfid‘ identified excavators the 1834 In seso euiosplant’ leguminous a of ‘seeds × .9 ofi a lge ot-ot n na xeln state excellent an in and north-south aligned was coffin 0.99m arudefigureofahumanface ie Melton Nigel 805 knwr eotd h nmlsi may skin animal and The nails reported. hair, were human skin No or 15). garments 1872: other 10, ends’ 1834: to (Williamson loose exposure air on two disintegrated that brittle with a material of made ribband, lines raised with a decorated of rose ihaplse oepn 2mlong, fibula pig 72mm O’Connor (T. a from pin, fashioned been bone has which chest polished the a at fixed with hide animal in wrapped on lay body substance’ the 15), 1872: survive. 10, (1834: normally account Williamson’s not to According do organic include that they materials that in elsewhere except and Britain, Yorkshire in males Age adult Bronze Early other of characteristic are 1834 in coffin 6). 1872: the 5–6, 1834: of (Williamson lifting damage of the results during the be may gash curving tal. et ntelwrcetwas chest lower the On h reat copnigteburial the accompanying artefacts The Wlimo 82 ae salready as have, 1872) (Williamson hr ring’, ‘horn ecie srse,adwas and rushes, as described es comm pers. avdit h otend foot the into carved ’ and .) mslteberries’ ‘mistletoe × adouble ‘a ‘vegetable 0.79m,

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

The dagger has a short, slender flat bronze blade (Figure 7), classified by Gerloff within her Type Merthyr Mawr, Variant Parwich (Gerloff 1975: 51). A revised classification (Needham forthcoming) confirms that it can be grouped with early flat bronze daggers (series 2) despite being one of the shortest examples; this may in part be due to sharpening. It is placed in type F3 (Merthyr Mawr) which seems to be specifically late within the overall currency of series 2 weapons, dating close to the turn of the millennium. The cutting-edge was cold-worked and annealed through several cycles at a temperature high enough to ensure a homogeneous bronze. The organic hilt, of which no trace survives, was riveted to the blade with two metal peg rivets. The original 1834 illustration of the blade appears to depict a scabbard, which would have been made from wooden plates lined and/or covered with hide (Henshall 1968; Cameron 2003; Gabra-Sanders et al. 2003). This no longer survives except perhaps in the form of traces of animal collagen on the blade which were visible on scanning electron micrographs. Metallurgical analysis of the blade shows it to have been of an unleaded medium tin-bronze with 12.00% tin, which is within the 9–12% range characteristic of Early Bronze Age alloys (Northover 2007). The principal impurities are 0.38% arsenic, 0.09% antimony, 0.14% silver and 0.07% lead, with traces of nickel, zinc, and bismuth (Northover 2007). The arsenic/antimony/silver impurity pattern and the negligible nickel are consistent with Northover’s Group A3, long attributed to Ireland (Rohl & Needham 1998; O’Brien et al. 2004). Detailed typological studies suggest that the Gristhorpe dagger, like most contemporary British objects, would have been manufactured in Britain using recycled Irish metal (Needham 2004). The lead isotope ratios (Table 3) are also consistent with the presence of Irish copper ore, as they overlap with those of Chalcolithic ‘A’ metal from Ireland and Wales. Perhaps the most extraordinary item in Figure 7. The dagger blade (photograph: S. O’Connor). the assemblage is the perfectly preserved pommel, the sides of which splay out to a flat oval top c. 52mm wide (Figure 8) dwarfing the blade, whose maximum width is about 38mm. The top and sides are polished to a high sheen, but it is unclear whether or not this is partly due to use-wear. Originally identified as whalebone, reappraisal confirms it as a cetacean jawbone. Its form is intermediate between two clearly defined classes of socketed pommels; broadly speaking, pre-2000 BC examples (class 2) are oval in plan and

806 a a odnbs owihbr ie a enatce.I a rtdsrbdas described first was It attached. been had sides bark which to base wooden as flat Yorkshire a of had Riding East the from Yorkshire examples (1905). from numerous Mortimer graves by with Age illustrated Bronze Britain, Early in in elsewhere paralleled readily and are artefacts These flakes. flint skins’ cleaning for )btietfibea nf,adtoumdfidflks ecie rgnlyas originally 1834: described (Williamson an flakes, javelin unmodified small two a arrows’ and of knife, of head a the as as identifiable report but original 8) the in described 9) (Figure top the at ‘lip’ characteristics a combining with in classes. usually unusual both is expanded, are of pommel strongly pommels Gristhorpe more 3) The and (class forthcoming). plan (Needham BC in post-2000 lenticular whereas or view, elliptical face in trapezoidal rectangular/gently Wilson). A.S. (photograph: knife flint The 9. Figure O’Connor). S. (photograph: pommel dagger whalebone The 8. Figure h akcnanr o uniyo apdaddgae icso odadbark, and wood of pieces degraded and warped of quantity a now container, bark The he ihcatfcsrcvrdfo h o-ofi opieafieyrtuhdblade retouched finely a comprise log-coffin the from recovered artefacts lithic Three ipeeto flint of ‘implement Wlimo 84 ) nte17 eottertuhdbaei ecie as described is blade retouched the report 1872 the In 9). 1834: (Williamson Wlimo 82 4.Teohrtopee eecretydsrbdas described correctly were pieces two other The 14). 1872: (Williamson teewr] . . were]. [these . . . ie Melton Nigel rbbyue skie,o cainlya scrapers as occasionally or knives, as used probably 807 tal. et rd heads ‘rude

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined

Figure 10. The small wooden object, probably a toggle (photograph: A.S. Wilson). ‘a kind of dish, or shallow basket of wicker work’ (Williamson 1834: 9) and later as ‘a kind of dish composed of pieces of bark stitched together with strips of skin or of animal sinews’ (Williamson 1872: 15). Williamson (1834: 9) described a deposit of organic material found inside the container as ‘a quantity of decomposed matter, which has not yet been analysed’.At some stage it was labelled as ‘food residue’ and a hand-written note in the museum archive records that it was investigated by Stuart Piggott in the 1950s, but the analysis proved indeterminate. GC-MS analysis of solvent extracts of this deposit suggests a plant origin. However, there appears to be contamination of the sample from lignin-derived molecules that may have leached from the oak coffin. Analysis of a tiny fragment of the coffin supported such a view. Although further work is required, it may be that the deposit is not a food residue but a plant-based product used to make the interior waterproof. Whether the fibrous material, hair and sinew traces found embedded in it represent accidental inclusions or the last traces of some foodstuff is unclear. A small wooden object, 44 × 6.4mm, rounded at one end and slightly waisted, tapers to a spatulate shape at the other end (Figure 10). It is manufactured from a small piece of roundwood not identifiable to species. A slight notch across the waist on one side, created through use, makes it likely that this was a fastener, shaped so that the tapered surface would lie flat when fastened. A possible use is as a pouch fastener (analogous to the V-perforated buttons probably used in this way at Rudston, barrow 68a and at Acklam Wold barrow 124, Yorkshire [Greenwell 1877: 265; Mortimer 1905: 91; Shepherd 1973, 2009]) or else as a fastener for the bark container. The black-stained fox metatarsal and pine marten phalanges found among the vegetable matter in the coffin may be the remnants of fox and pine marten furs, as paws are often retained with the pelt when an animal is skinned. Alternatively, the bones may simply attest to the presence of animal remains, perhaps as amulets.

The date of the burial A combination of AMS radiocarbon and dendrochronological dating of the Gristhorpe assemblage provides insight into the sequence of events related to burial and permits comparison with similar ﬁnds. All radiocarbon dates are quoted at 95% conﬁdence and full details are given in Melton et al. (forthcoming). Dagger blade and pommel typologies

808 opst rrpaeet ihIda n J Ambers (J. ink Indian nineteenth-century a with is skeleton replacement, the or whether second, composite and, collagen; animal introduced had vdnefrbn apn n eomto.Ufruaey lhuhaceia analysis chemical a no although is Unfortunately, very there soft; deformation. was bones and preservation the render Age warping collagen to bone Bronze as original extensive for Early so that evidence not an with suggests was loss dense, from strongly mineral and and, any come greasy This Moreover, was good. well yield. not stained, although collagen so does dating, high that for survived used a protein There femur skeleton any of worked. the section for The method why human. evidence conservation apparent of nineteenth-century no question unusual is the the if open how results detected ultra- isotope leaves furthermore, be stable separated, nitrogen which might and the carbon collagen 4), for similar animal very (Table and provided degraded samples samples, these The where femur of samples glue. All sub-surface present. fraction with and small conservation surface and at the filtered seems attempts for skeleton true nineteenth-century the is by so same collagen, unaffected mammal been marine have or to fish marine herbivores, terrestrial individual. with of nineteenth-century (Montgomery is a skeleton of England the that shows not nineteenth-century and that date evidence in Age dating living Bronze the Early supports people which thus for finding environment This unpolluted case forthcoming). remarkably the a not inhabited Man was Gristhorpe indicates lead pre-metallurgical of tooth or Age the Bronze in other lead (Montgomery to of populations compared Neolithic level even the the low for extremely addition, date is In a ppb) confidence. (three give 95% enamel to at combine BC These cal (OxA-19219). 2200–2020 BC of cal skeleton 2280–2030 of date a gave femur highly 35–6). is trans. 2006: burial (Glob Christensen coffin preservation & mineral oak bone Randsborg an to 1983; from conducive normally mineral not bone are conditions much as so unusual, of survival The bones. substitute a in the hours consolidate eight to mind for 1834 in them in borne attempt simmering be the by to whether bones first, had skeleton: factors Two the more felling. dating tree-ring a when for spaced allow to evenly date lid six radiocarbon coffin the of wiggle-matched from sequence precise section a dendrochronology the addition, from In obtained was coffin. samples the overlying branches the on h ieo eto ugssfs rwhi aorbeevrnet(Tyers environment favourable a Together bark in for rings. the growth rings 108 of including fast end, number suggests carving, small ‘head’ relatively section the the The of sequence. from near size ring one end, composite the year and ‘foot’ 173 rings, the a 126 provide from these produced section rings, A outer lid. and coffin (HAR- oak BC cal the the 2300–1650 in of obtained date date a provided radiocarbon coffin conventional the a overlying 4424). and branches BC, the 2000 on around 1980s of date a suggest eint banaclna aebcuetesqec a eaieysotadteeaefew are (Tyers there period and Age short Bronze relatively Early was this sequence for the the records from because others dendrochronological date with dated calendar sequence ring a floating obtain this to match region to possible not was it Unfortunately, h tbecro n irgniooerto ftedtdclae r inconsistent are collagen dated the of ratios isotope nitrogen and carbon stable The the while (OxA-16844), BC cal 2140–1940 of date a provided dentine root tooth The and samples femoral on dentine, root tooth on out carried was dating radiocarbon AMS h ogs osbednrcrnlgclsqec a bandfo w etosfrom sections two from obtained was sequence dendrochronological possible longest The tal. et ie Melton Nigel 00 05 otoey20) uhalwlevel low a Such 2002). Montgomery 2005; 2000, 809 ti ouino glue’ of solution ‘thin tal. et es comm pers. Wlimo 82 7) 1872: (Williamson )ue o‘oc up’ ‘touch to used .) es comm pers. es comm pers. vr rotten’ ‘very tal et .). .). .

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined of the coffin water was made in 1834, the pH is unknown, but it is likely that any acid in the burial environment was buffered by the presence in the water of ‘much sulphate of lime’, (Williamson 1872: 8) and this, coupled with anaerobic conditions, led to the preservation of both mineral and organic materials. The branches over the coffin dated to 1750–1530 cal BC (OxA-16812). Wiggle-matching of the radiocarbon dates for the coffin lid (Bronk Ramsey et al. 2001) confirmed a date of 2115–2035 cal BC for the date of felling. The combined dating evidence indicates that the tree for the coffin was felled between 2115 cal BC and 2035 cal BC and that Gristhorpe Man died between 2200 cal BC and 2020 cal BC, indicating that these could have been contemporary events. The branches over the coffin were cut between 1750 cal BC and 1530 cal BC, meaning that this cannot have occurred at the same time, and that the branches were laid over the coffin at least 270 years after the death of Gristhorpe Man. The tree-ring sequence from the coffin can now be incorporated into the dated master records for the region.

Discussion The unusual preservation circumstances of Gristhorpe Man provide a rare insight into Early Bronze Age funerary practices and the social networks that supported them. Parallels can be found for most, if not all, of the burial goods. In particular, the hide wrapping and the dagger with its pommel of rare cetacean bone represent items of conspicuous display that, along with the coffin and the structure and location of the funerary monument, emphasise a pre-eminent social status that is perhaps closely paralleled by the log-coffin grave unearthed at Stoborough, Dorset (Hutchins 1767). Among these distinctive interments, where individual social identities appear to be emphasised (cf. Treherne 1995; Stig Sørensen 1997; Whitley 2002), is a group of males accompanied by metal weapons. These weapons, along with the conspicuous consumption usually involved in the construction of the funerary monuments, would have served to justify and legitimate a pre-eminent social position in life and in death. Well-excavated burial sites frequently show complex histories of construction and successive burial deposits. The oak branches were described as ‘...carelessly thrown over the coffin; they are from five to eight inches in diameter, and, like the coffin, are still covered with their rough bark’ (Williamson 1872: 16). If these are the axe-trimmed logs curated in the museum today, there is at least a 270-year difference between them and the oak coffin. It may be that Gristhorpe is an example of an interment that remained accessible for a time before the barrow was completed over it, or — more likely, given the coffin’s state of preservation — the subject of a later intrusion or interment unrecognised by the nineteenth-century excavators. The choice of grave goods may well have had special symbolic significance. The cetacean bone pommel indicates a connection with the sea that might also be echoed in the boat-like shape of the coffin. It is also curious that this senior dagger-accompanied male, a class of individual almost invariably laid on the left side at this time, is here laid on his right side looking out to sea. It is clear that travel, and the long-distance movement of materials and objects, was important to the operation of Early Bronze Age society (e.g. Needham 2009).

810 otrcnl yteapiaino eia mgn ehius stpcaaye now analyses Isotopic techniques. imaging medical of include enhanced status, application methods health the New and proportions, 1872. by analysis body in recently 1834 sex, scepticism death, most the at due in age upon with determining present reliant for reproduced and being standards but medicine latter Man of the part Gristhorpe phrenology, This as of as remains. origin human such its of methods, from analyses re-invented now-defunct in entirely made the been been has clarify found have subject remains advances that of biological Major remains and contexts. analyses human material funerary residue of and in use artefacts include and both manufacture developments preservation, of noteworthy identification, constituents Other chemical 1872. and since proteins years years. the 700 some over by earlier the is Man along Christensen Gristhorpe coffin, & that and (Randsborg conclusively skeleton examples shows Gristhorpe Danish 2006), the the of on trans. dating dating of Worsaae dendrochronological of recent formulation 118; programme with new the 2007: Our (Rowley-Conwy in 96). fn. interpretation log-coffins 1849: archaeological Danish on of similar emphasis societies bedrock with previously this heavy describes remains having employ Worsaae Gristhorpe know with to and the able now manner, was Thomsen compared to Williamson we both antiquarian 1872 opportunity System’, By which the burial. Age rare Caesar, Gristhorpe Thomsen’s/Worsaae’s ‘Three the in Julius a from remove of much of afford 2000-year a that interpretation very 1872 at mainly is The in sources, 1834 thought. later classical in century archaeological re-working find a its nineteenth-century and the half in 1834 nearly in changes burial author appraise Gristhorpe same the of the publication by and discovery early The Conclusion use the as his such movement. co-ordinated prominence, of and social particularly strength to physical rise impairment, speech, his of behavioural aided comprehension that and and qualities intra-cranial physical those an and caused developed limb he have dominant life, later may In several fractures. that to healed him tumour of exposed that form strong exploits the included martial in that in injuries perhaps likely lifestyle traumatic limb, active is upper an It right his upon status. from of built acquired use nutrition was lateralised than standing good rather social inherited for pre-eminent to with this evidence him that consistent isotope predisposed be and would that childhood skeletal higher diet early of The males his today. well-fed older, to with status associated for component condition socio-economic a ratio meat gallstones, isotope or substantial nitrogen stones renal high a develop The indicates birth. from period conditions benefited the living he that and suggest mass nutrition body good and stature from prominent His himself. man the of attributes Needham 1960; Ashbee or Beaker (see Woodward accoutrements characteristic burials 2005; the single burial by near-contemporary paralleled other his container with internal local or with found probable Vessel vessel its his Food a sea, with be container by the to bark appears indicated The by sealant interment. of network as of coating tradition locally, wide regional a born a of chief into part being linked paramount but a ratios, be isotope to appears Man Gristhorpe hstp fcrnlgclrslto ptmssteavne aei h discipline the in made advances the epitomises resolution chronological of type This physical the by matched been have to appears grave Gristhorpe the of ostentation The tal. et 2005). ie Melton Nigel 811 tal. et

Method Gristhorpe Man: an Early Bronze Age log-coffin burial scientifically defined provide means to examine the diet, provenance and movement of people to explore the origin and social relationships implicit in funerary contexts. The use of these studies, in conjunction with continued scholarly synthesis of archaeological discoveries, highlights the value of the retention and curation of finds. The Gristhorpe remains have resided in the Rotunda Museum since 1834, and their new display ensures public dissemination of research findings, as well as their availability for future study in light of even newer techniques and ideas.

Research credits and acknowledgements The project has been funded by grants from the British Academy, British Association for the Advancement of Science, Natural Environment Research Council, Royal Archaeological Institute and Scarborough Museums Trust. CJK’s participation in this project was funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (RF/6/RFG/2008/0253). Melton and Montgomery visited the Rotunda Museum in 2004, and agreed a plan for a major re-investigation of the Gristhorpe assemblage with Karen Snowden, the Curator of the Museum, while the Museum was undergoing renovation. The find was subsequently transferred to the Archaeological Sciences Conservation Laboratory, University of Bradford, where a programme of further excavation, scientific analysis and interpretation was undertaken (Melton et al. forthcoming) prior to its return for the museum re-opening in 2008. The main restriction on the re- investigation was that Harland and Weddell’s articulation was considered part of the exhibit, and this meant all work on the skeleton had to be performed whilst leaving the original wiring intact. The isotope ratios for the skeleton and the dagger were measured at the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, by Carolyn Chenery and Jane Evans, and at the Stable Light Isotope Facility, University of Bradford, by Andrew Gledhill to whom we are particularly grateful. Simon Chaplin, Director of Museums and Special Collections, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, provided modern renal and urinary calculi. The radiocarbon dates were produced by the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and funded by NERC. We acknowledge the assistance and advice of the following staff at the University of Bradford: Julia Beaumont, Dr Julie Bond, Dr Chris Gaffney, Gary Rushworth, Dr Jill Thompson. A significant aspect of the project was the work that was undertaken in the form of Masters dissertations, and in this respect we are particularly grateful to Joanne Hawkins, David Maron, Samantha Hodgson and Vaughan Wastling, whose respective studies of the basket, coffin, geophysics and skeleton have provided a wealth of detailed analysis and interpretation. A number of external experts must also be thanked, in particular Janet Ambers (British Museum), Prof. Terry O’Connor (York University), Dr Sue Ovenden (Orkney College) and Ian Tyers (Dendrochronological Consultancy Ltd). Special thanks are due to: Mr D. Kaye and Mr N. Ankers, Blue Dolphin Holiday Park, and Haven Holidays for permission to carry out the geophysical surveys and excavation; Mrs D. Beswick for information on William Beswick, and Terry Manby for supplying a copy of Neville Harland’s letter to Frank Elgee from the Yorkshire Archaeological Society archives.

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