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).

学界对英格兰东北部青铜时代早期（Early Bronze Age）墓葬的认知，大多源自19世纪末至20世纪初开展的考古发掘工作。为评估已出土人骨遗存相关现有信息的可靠性，并补充提供详实的细节资料，米歇尔·甘布尔（Michelle Gamble）对英格兰东北部数处青铜时代早期墓葬出土的人骨遗存开展了骨骼学重新分析。本次骨骼学分析的目的，是借助克里斯·福勒（Chris Fowler）于2013a、2013b（2013a; 2013b）对350余座墓葬开展发掘所获得的出土背景证据，为该区域铜石并用时代（Chalcolithic）至青铜时代早期（Early Bronze Age）（约公元前2500年—公元前1500年）的丧葬习俗研究提供全新的综合论述。本数据集收录了英格兰东北部铜石并用时代（Chalcolithic）至青铜时代早期（Early Bronze Age）所有可溯源至泰恩-威尔博物馆群（Tyne and Wear Museums）馆藏的人骨遗存详细编目清单，该博物馆群包含泰恩河畔纽卡斯尔的大北方博物馆（Great North Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne）、桑德兰的桑德兰博物馆与冬季花园（Sunderland Museum and Wintergardens in Sunderland），以及南希尔兹的阿尔贝亚博物馆与罗马要塞（Arbeia Museum and Roman Fort in South Shields）。甘布尔与福勒待刊的一篇论文中，详述了本次骨骼学分析、部分选定骨骼的放射性碳定年（radiocarbon dating）结果，以及所研究遗存的出土背景信息等核心发现。本次研究所涉及的人骨遗存均出自以下考古遗址（关于遗存来源的详细讨论详见甘布尔与福勒的待刊论文）：纽布拉夫的阿拉沃什（Allerwash, Newbrough，NY871673）；纽伯恩星门比维斯山（Bewes Hill, Stargate, Newburn，NZ170630）；埃丁厄姆科比崖（Corby's Crags, Edlingham，NU12800965）；纽卡斯尔登顿本（Denton Burn, Newcastle，NZ1965）；桑德兰富尔韦尔（Fulwell, Sunderland，NZ3959）；桑德兰奥弗顿黑斯廷斯山（Hasting Hill, Offerton, Sunderland，NZ35275435）；沃克冈特罗斯冬青丛（Hollybush, Gunnerton, Wark，NY894746）；桑德兰亨布尔顿山（Humbledon Hill, Sunderland，NZ381551）；巴拉福德里弗希尔农场（Reaverhill Farm, Barrasford，NY907737）；赫克瑟姆高尔夫球场（Hexham Golf Course，NY922649）；贝德灵顿米尔菲尔德（Mill Field, Bedlington，NZ262814）；布莱顿萨默希尔（Summerhill, Blaydon，NZ177635）；桑德兰沃登劳（Warden Law, Sunderland，NZ372505）；西沃姆利（West Wharmley，NY8866）；米尔菲尔德威顿山（Whitton Hill, Milfield，NT933347）。