Osteological Analysis of Early Bronze Age human skeletal remains in Tyne and Wear Museums

Much of our understanding of Early Bronze Age burials in the North East of England is derived from excavations which took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In order to judge the reliability of existing information on the human remains recovered, and to provide additional detailed information, Michelle Gamble carried out osteological re-analysis of the human remains from several Early Bronze Age burials from the North East of England. The purpose of the osteological analyses was to inform a new synthesis of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 2500-1500 BC) mortuary practices in this region, utilising the contextual evidence from excavations of over 350 burials conducted by Chris Fowler (2013a; 2013b).The dataset presented here represents a detailed inventory of the all the human skeletal material from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age in North East England which could be located within the Tyne and Wear Museums' collections (Great North Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland Museum and Wintergardens in Sunderland, and Arbeia Museum and Roman Fort in South Shields). Key findings of the osteological analysis, radiocarbon dating of some selected bones, and contextual information on the remains examined are related in an article by Gamble and Fowler (in press). The human remains examined derive from the following archaeological sites (though see Gamble and Fowler in press for discussion of provenance): Allerwash, Newbrough (NY871673); Bewes Hill, Stargate, Newburn (NZ170630); Corby's Crags, Edlingham (NU12800965); Denton Burn, Newcastle (NZ1965); Fulwell, Sunderland (NZ3959); Hasting Hill, Offerton, Sunderland (NZ35275435); Hollybush, Gunnerton, Wark (NY894746); Humbledon Hill, Sunderland (NZ381551); Reaverhill Farm, Barrasford (NY907737); Hexham Golf Course (NY922649); Mill Field, Bedlington (NZ262814); Summerhill, Blaydon (NZ177635); Warden Law, Sunderland (NZ372505); West Wharmley (NY8866); and Whitton Hill, Milfield (NT933347).