”Burned but not destroyed” : an osteological analysis of cremated graves from Pre-Roman Iron Age at Smörkullen, Alvastra

Cremated remains have long been regarded as a highly complex material that often provides unsatisfactory results. This essay discusses the problems that arise when methods commonly used on unburned bone material are used in a cremated skeletal material. The present essay discusses the results from osteological analysis of seven cremations from Pre-Roman Iron Age from a large cemetery in Alvastra, Smörkullen. Several methods were ultimately not applied in the present study as they were insufficient for application on the relevant material. Since the methods were inapplicable and fragments available for gender assessments too low, no sex assessments were made. All individuals were considered adults, a more detailed age assessment were not possible. The combustion rate for four of the graves were assessed to Grade 2, three graves to Grade 2 with the transition to Grade of 3, and only one grave has been assessed at Grade 3. The combined average size of the fragments was about 2.7 cm. In four of the graves the bone content corresponded to a whole individual, i.e. the grave contained the remains of a whole body. The study raise the issue of explore and develop further methods on cremated remains, foremost for sex- and age assessments