Reconnecting the dead in Iron Age Britain: funerary processing and long-distance connectivity at Loch Borralie, Scotland
Abstract
Though mortuary practices seem largely archaeologically invisible in Iron Age Britain, the visible dead were subject to diverse treatment. Here, the authors report the results of a multi-strand analysis of two Iron Age skeletons buried in a stone cairn at Loch Borralie, north-west Scotland. Manipulation of one skeleton, including the possible removal of the brain, fashioning of long bones into ‘tools’ and reassembly for burial, suggests complex mortuary processing, while the east-coast origin of both individuals and their biological ties to Orkney reveal long-distance connections, expanding our understanding of funerary practice, mobility and connectivity in Iron Age Britain.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Antiquity
- Publisher
- Antiquity Publications
- Volume
- 100
- Issue
- 412
- Pages
- 996–1014
- Publication date
- 10 June 2026
- Language
- EN