Archaeologists are piecing together the mysterious life and death of an Iron Age man whose jaw bone was discovered in Orkney.
Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belong to a man who died around AD120.
With only two teeth remaining, the man seemed to have led an active working life, but lived to around the age of 50...
Revealed: 2,300-year-old jawbone gives new clues on the life and death of Orkney's mystery Iron Age man
Researchers studied a jawbone and two teeth found in South Ronaldsay
They believe the man died when he was around 50 between AD120 and AD240
The mystery man seems to have led an active life and had a diet rich in fish
He may have been a man of importance given he was buried among animal remains in a ritualistic style
By Shivali Best For Mailonline
6 December 2016
Archaeologists are piecing together the mysterious life and death of an Iron Age man whose jaw bone was discovered in Orkney.
Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belong to a man who died around AD120.
With only two teeth remaining, the man seemed to have led an active working life, but lived to around the age of 50.
Archaeologists are piecing together the mysterious life and death of an Iron Age man whose jaw one was discovered in Orkney. Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belonged to a man who died around AD120
The remains were discovered in July by researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.
The team has been leading digs and studies of a broch at The Cairns, South Ronaldsay.
Their biggest find was a human jaw, which had been placed in a large, carved whalebone vessel, resting on the outer wall-face of a broch – a large stone tower.
Also present within the whalebone container were remains of three new-born lambs, and other animal bones.
The researchers have now performed radiocarbon dating on the jaw, which suggest that the man died sometime between AD120 and AD240.
An initial study of the human remains has also provided insights into his lifestyle.
The study suggests that the jaw belongs to a person of some considerable age for the period, perhaps 50, but he may well be several decades older than that.
The individual is thought to be male, although the researchers add that it can be difficult to be certain of this given the basis of just a single bone.
The man seemed to have led an active working life judging by the condition of the teeth - only two were left.
The jawbone had grown over most of the sockets of the missing teeth showing that these teeth had been lost during life.
The researchers believe that this tooth loss may have been brought about partly through the man using his mouth to tightly clamp materials, such as grasses and straw, whilst working on them with his hands, perhaps in making plant-fibre items such as bags and containers.
Their biggest find was a human jaw, which had been placed in a large, carved whalebone vessel, resting on the outer wall-face of a broch – a large stone tower
The teeth that did remain were quite substantially worn down, possibly from the activities just mentioned, but possibly also by the abrasive grit accidentally included in bread and bran products made with flour produced on sandstone grinding stones that have been frequently found on the site.
The analysis of the jaw also revealed more unusual aspects of the man's diet.
His bone chemistry showed that he had consumed a surprisingly high quantity of marine-derived protein - probably largely fish.
The human jaw bone and teeth found at The Cairns in South Ronaldsay
Most studies of human remains from the Middle Iron Age tend to show very low levels of fish proteins in the human diet.
This might seem surprising considering the coastal, island nature of Iron Age Orkney, but this lack of fish was also seen in the rubbish heaps of food waste at the site.
Unlike the majority of Middle Iron Age buildings, the broch did contain fairly substantial amounts of fish bones, in a manner suggestive that lots of small fish were being smoked inside the broch in a final episode of activity.
The researchers believe that this shows that the man could have been a member of the broch household, and could even have been an important member of the community.
Martin Carruthers, Site Director of the project, said: 'It may not be pushing this line of consideration too far to suggest the possibility that it was his death that occasioned the final abandonment and decommissioning of the broch.
'There are plenty of examples from different cultures around the world, where the death of an important person, who had a significant association with a particular house, resulted in the end of that entire house as well.'
The researchers hope that further analyses will add even more detail and fascinating new elements to this developing story of life and death during the Iron Age.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ORKNEY'S IRON AGE MAN?
The man died sometime between AD120 and AD240 in the Middle Iron Age.
He may have been 50 or older when he died, and seemed to have led an active life up until then.
His tooth loss may have been brought about through the man using his mouth in the manner of a 'third hand'.
His bone chemistry showed that he had consumed a surprisingly high quantity of marine-derived protein - probably largely fish.
The researchers believe that this shows that the man could have been a member of the broch household, and could even have been an important member of the community.
Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belong to a man who died around AD120.
With only two teeth remaining, the man seemed to have led an active working life, but lived to around the age of 50...
Revealed: 2,300-year-old jawbone gives new clues on the life and death of Orkney's mystery Iron Age man
Researchers studied a jawbone and two teeth found in South Ronaldsay
They believe the man died when he was around 50 between AD120 and AD240
The mystery man seems to have led an active life and had a diet rich in fish
He may have been a man of importance given he was buried among animal remains in a ritualistic style
By Shivali Best For Mailonline
6 December 2016
Archaeologists are piecing together the mysterious life and death of an Iron Age man whose jaw bone was discovered in Orkney.
Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belong to a man who died around AD120.
With only two teeth remaining, the man seemed to have led an active working life, but lived to around the age of 50.
Archaeologists are piecing together the mysterious life and death of an Iron Age man whose jaw one was discovered in Orkney. Using carbon dating, the researchers suggest that the remains belonged to a man who died around AD120
The remains were discovered in July by researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.
The team has been leading digs and studies of a broch at The Cairns, South Ronaldsay.
Their biggest find was a human jaw, which had been placed in a large, carved whalebone vessel, resting on the outer wall-face of a broch – a large stone tower.
Also present within the whalebone container were remains of three new-born lambs, and other animal bones.
The researchers have now performed radiocarbon dating on the jaw, which suggest that the man died sometime between AD120 and AD240.
An initial study of the human remains has also provided insights into his lifestyle.
The study suggests that the jaw belongs to a person of some considerable age for the period, perhaps 50, but he may well be several decades older than that.
The individual is thought to be male, although the researchers add that it can be difficult to be certain of this given the basis of just a single bone.
The man seemed to have led an active working life judging by the condition of the teeth - only two were left.
The jawbone had grown over most of the sockets of the missing teeth showing that these teeth had been lost during life.
The researchers believe that this tooth loss may have been brought about partly through the man using his mouth to tightly clamp materials, such as grasses and straw, whilst working on them with his hands, perhaps in making plant-fibre items such as bags and containers.
Their biggest find was a human jaw, which had been placed in a large, carved whalebone vessel, resting on the outer wall-face of a broch – a large stone tower
The teeth that did remain were quite substantially worn down, possibly from the activities just mentioned, but possibly also by the abrasive grit accidentally included in bread and bran products made with flour produced on sandstone grinding stones that have been frequently found on the site.
The analysis of the jaw also revealed more unusual aspects of the man's diet.
His bone chemistry showed that he had consumed a surprisingly high quantity of marine-derived protein - probably largely fish.
The human jaw bone and teeth found at The Cairns in South Ronaldsay
Most studies of human remains from the Middle Iron Age tend to show very low levels of fish proteins in the human diet.
This might seem surprising considering the coastal, island nature of Iron Age Orkney, but this lack of fish was also seen in the rubbish heaps of food waste at the site.
Unlike the majority of Middle Iron Age buildings, the broch did contain fairly substantial amounts of fish bones, in a manner suggestive that lots of small fish were being smoked inside the broch in a final episode of activity.
The researchers believe that this shows that the man could have been a member of the broch household, and could even have been an important member of the community.
Martin Carruthers, Site Director of the project, said: 'It may not be pushing this line of consideration too far to suggest the possibility that it was his death that occasioned the final abandonment and decommissioning of the broch.
'There are plenty of examples from different cultures around the world, where the death of an important person, who had a significant association with a particular house, resulted in the end of that entire house as well.'
The researchers hope that further analyses will add even more detail and fascinating new elements to this developing story of life and death during the Iron Age.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ORKNEY'S IRON AGE MAN?
The man died sometime between AD120 and AD240 in the Middle Iron Age.
He may have been 50 or older when he died, and seemed to have led an active life up until then.
His tooth loss may have been brought about through the man using his mouth in the manner of a 'third hand'.
His bone chemistry showed that he had consumed a surprisingly high quantity of marine-derived protein - probably largely fish.
The researchers believe that this shows that the man could have been a member of the broch household, and could even have been an important member of the community.
