Bayesian modeling of an early bronze age cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Krus, A. and Peteranna, M. (2016) Bayesian modeling of an early bronze age cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Radiocarbon, 58(3), pp. 693-708. (doi: 10.1017/RDC.2016.21)

Abstract

Excavations from 2009–2010 in Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland, encountered a burial site with seven cists, pits containing cremation burials, a kerbed cairn, and a small stone and post circle. Twenty-one radiocarbon measurements were taken from single entities of wood charcoal, carbonized residue on pottery, and cremated human bone. A site chronology has been constructed using a Bayesian approach that considers the stratigraphic contexts and feature formation processes. The site was host to thousands of years of discontinuous human activity beginning with little understood Mesolithic and Neolithic components. Modeling estimates that mortuary activity at the site began in the Early Bronze Age in 2220–1985 cal BC (95% probability) and to have ended in 1880–1660 cal BC (95% probability). The span of activity during this burial component is estimated to be 140–520 yr (95% probability) in the primary Bayesian model and 50–470 yr (95% probability) in an alternative model. These modeling results demonstrate that human burial at Armadale was an infrequent event and further suggest that the memory of the location and social role of Armadale as a burial ground persisted throughout much of the Early Bronze Age.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Krus, Dr Anthony
• Authors: Krus, A., and Peteranna, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Radiocarbon
• Publisher: University of Arizona
• ISSN: 0033-8222
• ISSN (Online): 1945-5755
• Published Online: 06 April 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona
• First Published: First published in Radiocarbon 58(3): 693-708
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher