Social roles of children during the Late Iron Age. Child burials in Suutarinniemi cemetery (Ii),...
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Transcript of Social roles of children during the Late Iron Age. Child burials in Suutarinniemi cemetery (Ii),...
SOCIAL ROLES OF CHILDREN DURING THE LATE IRON
AGE
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Child burials in Suutarinniemi cemetery (Ii), North Ostrobothnia
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama 8.5.2014
SUUTARINNIEMI CEMETERY
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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• Dates most likely to the 12th
and 13th centuries AD
• Contains both inhumation-
and cremation burials
• In 2013, five inhumations and
two cremations were
excavated
• Four burials (Graves 9 and 11
and both cremations) may be
labeled as child burials
• GPR survey indicates that the
cemetery may be relatively
large
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 9
• Contained the remains
of a small child
• Possibly a stillborn or
a couple of months old
• Burial was unfurnished
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Photo: J. Ikäheimo
GRAVE 11
• A problematic case
• The occupant in this grave
was a roughly 5 cm long
disturbance
• Whatever this is, it was
deliberately buried in a
grave
• Possibly a foetus of 7–9
weeks of age
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Photo: J. Ikäheimo
CREMATIONS
• Two cremations were found,
both associated with Grave 3
• Cremation 1 was smaller and
located above the left knee
of the occupant in Grave 3
• Cremation 2 was in two parts
with one half intact and
located on the right side of
the deceased in Grave 3 with
the other half strewn in the
fill of the grave
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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CREMATION 1
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Fragmentary crowns and roots of
deciduous teeth. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
Fragmentary piece of the left side of
mandible with tooth sockets of
deciduous teeth. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
CREMATION 1
• Most likely the cremation contains only one individual, a child
approximately 1 to 6 years of age
• Age estimation is based on the fragmentary deciduous teeth
and the fragment of mandible with deciduous tooth sockets
• Also several artefacts were found from cremation 1: fragments
of melted bronze, several small links of a bronze chain, an iron
needle, probably from a brooch, and from the bottom of the
cremation a badly melted oval bronze brooch with an intact
iron needle
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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CREMATION 2
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Lumbar vertebra of an adult from superior view and side; fragmentary radius of a young individual. (Photos: R. Vilkama)
CREMATION 2
• All together six fragments of adult
mandibles and maxillae were found. • Age estimation: over 17 (M3 erupted)
• Fragments of radius seem to belong to (a)
young individual(s) because the fusion of
the distal epiphysis is not yet completed in
them • Age estimation based on the distal
fragements of radius: 15 to 20 years, could
be also somewhat older
• All found vertebrae belong to adult
individuals and especially the lumbar
vertebrae show pathology
• It is possible that cremation 2 contains
more than one individual
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Fragmentary mandible and maxilla with the tooth sockets
of all three permanent molars. (Photos: R. Vilkama)
CREMATED BONE IN THE FILL OF GRAVE 3
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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PNO 2845 Fragmentary maxilla (left side) of a child approximately 1,5 to 5 years of age. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
PNO 1510 Fragmentary frontal bone (left side) of a
child. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
PNO 2574 Fragmentary mandible (left side) of an individual over 17
years of age. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
PNO 4994 Fragmentary maxilla (right side) of a child
approximately 2 to 4 years of age. (Photo: R. Vilkama)
CREMATED BONE IN THE FILL OF GRAVE 3
• The two fragments of maxillae and
one fragment of mandible with
deciduous tooth sockets could
belong to a same child (toddler),
but they can also represent several
individuals
• The mandible with permanent
tooth sockets belongs to an
individual over 17 years of age
• Possibly also bones from a prenatal
child (or children) are present
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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PNO 2216 Possibly: the developing foramen
transversarium in a perinatal cervical neural arch (??) ,
inferior and superior views. (Photos: R. Vilkama)
CHILDREN IN THE LATE IRON AGE
• At least some children
had a social role
requiring their burial in
a cemetery after death
• These roles, however,
were likely varied
• In Suutarinniemi: four
cases, four differing
stories
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 9
• In all respects a ”normal”
burial
• Aside from the age of the
occupant this grave in no way
stands out from the
inhumations of adults
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 11
• Also a ”regular” grave but
with some unique features
• Appears to be on the edge of
the cemetery
• A slight deviation in the
alignment of the grave pit
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Map: Mikko Heikkinen
GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
• Usually cremations are
assumed to be older than
inhumations
• Startigraphical relations
suggest, however, that the
cremations are
contemporary with the
inhumation in Grave 3
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Photo: J. Ikäheimo
GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
• The stratigraphical relationship
of Cremation 1 and Grave 3
means that the deposition of
the creamation is either
younger or contemporaneous
with the event of burial in
Grave 3
• Field observations suggest that
Cremation 1 is
contemporaneous with Grave 3
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Distribution of metal artefacts
GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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Horizontal distribution of
cremated bone
GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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1,5
1,6
1,7
1,8
1,9
2
2,1
2,2
2,3
2,4
2,5
1,5 1,7 1,9 2,1 2,3 2,5 2,7 2,9 3,1 3,3 3,5
Cremated bone
Occupant of Grave 3
Surface of Cremation 2
GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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1,8
1,85
1,9
1,95
2
2,05
2,1
2,15
2,2
2 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 2,7 2,8 2,9
Cremated bone
Surface ofCremation 2
• The vertical and horizontal distribution of cremated bone in the
grave pit of Grave 3 is very even
• The vertical distribution of cremated bone in what would be
the fill of the grave pit of Cremation 2 together with field
observations indicate that the pit of Cremation 2 has been dug,
or at least has been open, contemporaneously with Grave 3
• The distribution of cremated bone within Grave 3 is thus
intentional
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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GRAVE 3 & CREMATIONS
CHILDREN IN THE LATE IRON AGE
• Four different cases where children have been buried
• Grave 9 demonstrates that at least some children were given an equal treatment when
compared to adults
• Grave 3 and the cremations seem to indicate a more complex social structure possibly
reflecting status differences. • Cremation 2 contains signs of an individual who may have been involved in literally back-
breaking labour from an early age
• Cremation 1 was richly furnished
• Grave 11 might show some signs of Christian influence, but this may be a too
stratightforward interpretation. Burial of a foetus might also be associated with fear.
8.5.2014 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES/ Archaeology / Jari-Matti Kuusela & Rosa Vilkama
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