Archaeological Bones – The Anatomy of an Abandoned Churchyard

Abstract

Scattered human bones from disturbed graves in medieval and post‐medieval churchyards have generally been considered to be of minor interest in archaeological analyses. However, the material has a large information potential provided that it is carefully documented and analysed. By treating scattered bones in the same way as other archaeological finds the material is found to have great value as source material in the interpretation of cemeteries and churchyards as well as in paleodemographic analyses. This is demonstrated by analysing the dispersed bones found in the medieval/post‐medieval cemetery layers of the abandoned churchyard at Sola in Rogaland, south‐western Norway. By analysing bones from disturbed graves and incorporating both archaeological and osteological data in the analyses, it was demonstrated that it is possible to provide answers to questions about the original number of burials and the number of individuals in the churchyard, the relative chronology of grave constructions and a more accurate demographic profile of the buried population.

Notes

1. In an earlier publication, slightly different numbers were given, both with regard to the tower base and the total number of individuals identified in the stratigraphic layers (Hommedal & Sellevold 1999). Our present and more detailed analyses have resulted in an increase in the number of individuals represented in the material from the tower base and a decrease in the number of individuals in the dispersed bone material from all of the investigated areas.