SHG30066 - Reconnecting the dead in Iron Age Britain: funerary processing and long-distance connectivity at Loch Borralie, Scotland (Antiquity)

Type	Text/Publication/Article
Title	Reconnecting the dead in Iron Age Britain: funerary processing and long-distance connectivity at Loch Borralie, Scotland (Antiquity)
Author/Originator	Castells Navarro, L. et al
Date/Year	2026

Abstract/Summary

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.

External Links (1)

Description

Published online by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd: 10 June 2026 The research from this paper is part of the COMMIOS project (https://commiosarchaeology.wordpress.com/) led by Prof Ian Armit and funded by an ERC Advanced Grant. COMMIOS is a multidisciplinary project combining ancient DNA, isotope analysis, osteoarchaeology and funerary archaeology to investigate diversity, mobility and social dynamics in Iron Age communities in Britain (800 BC – AD 100) within their wider European context.

Referenced Monuments (1)

Referenced Events (0)

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.

---