Term 1 Ancient

preservation in bogs

- little to no oxygen in the water of peat bogs

- bogs consist of two layers, the bottom of peat, and a top watery layer

- the peat layer is undisturbed by changes in the outside environment

- there is a chemical content in bogs

the chemical is sphagon

it is a carbohydrate found in the cell walls of sphagon moss, preventing destructive bacteria from operating

-as the moss decays, an acid is formed, which contributes to the tanning of the skin as well as converting the skin into leather

- often the hair, nail and major organs are preserved, as well as the contents of the stomach

- clothing and objects made from wool, skin, leather and metal may also have been preserved.

What steps were taken to preserve Lindow Man?

- they freeze dried the body, initially soaking the body in polyethylene glycol to prevent distortion, then freezing it and vaporising the ice, suffering minimal shrinkage

on removal, wrapped in water soaked plastic foam, and thin plastic sheeting, post-excavation deterioration was minimised by cold storage in a hospital mortuary

- stored in a shallow wooden box, in late september to keep the temp at 4c

- sprayed with cold distilled water during examination

- parts of the body not worked on was wrapped in cling film

- returned to the cool box if temp above 10-12

- air cooler in windows near the body

- restricted number of people near

- cold lamps to minimise effect of filming

- mount was made to ease the body being turned

Main tests done on Lindow man

- DNA testing

- strontium isotope tracing technology: detecting strontium isotopes in human hair and skin showing where some of the bog people has lived in the last few years of their life

- analysed stomach contents.

Results from Lindow Man

died from 2-3 blows to the skull

a blow to the back- broken rib

strangulation

cut throat (could be to bleed him out)

stab wound to the upper chest

travelled abroad (strontium testing)

may have been on high social status e.g a leader (no evidence of manual work)

perhaps a ritualistic sacrifice

Why do most think LM was a ritualistic sacrifice

due to connection between manner of death and the Beltane festival (1st of May, Lindow died in early spring, it was held in times of great need)

burnt bread found in Lindow man's stomach, often used in sacrifices

triple killing

what are some ethical issues surrounding bog bodies?

what sort of display is respectful if displayed?

should it be displayed?

if reburied where? with what rites? with or without rites?

does the knowledge gained outweigh the value of leaving them undisturbed?

what are the religious views of those today?

does it matter what the dead person's religion was or if the religion still exist should we listen to their opinion?

how important is it to educate the public about the past?

what are the benefits for tourism in regional and national museums? (tourism provides funding)

should skeletons be treated just like inanimate artefacts?

Reasons for study of bog bodies?

studying helps us understand their diet and health

artefacts found provide us with information on their lifestyle

keeping the bodies available to be studied when new technology comes.

it can provide a voice to the dead, as their stories might otherwise be lost to history

the pursuit of scientific and historical knowledge

time capsules of not only the person's life but the time era they lived

the only way to get unbiased accounts

Reasons agaisnt study of bog bodies?

display is disrespectful to people as individuals
cultural beliefs and practices (we should not impose our own attitudes onto the dead)
is it wrong to profit on the deaths and misfortunes of human beings
it is damaging to the remains and they should be left as is
studying human remains has accusations that it is equal to 'grave robbing'

what was the social hierarchy like in the Celtic period?

kings + chiefs

Men of arts

farmers

commoners

slaves

kin groups

Kings + chiefs

some parts of Gaul the civitas was ruled by a senate, in others a king, or combined

the celtic kinship was a sacred institution, where the king represented his human community, married the goddess of the land, shown in the kings inauguration ceremony

'good rule' ensures prosperity, 'poor' rule would sour his relationship with the divine

Men of Arts

druids, warriors, brehans, fili, craftsmen

Druids

high ranking priestly class

warriors

highly trained mercenaries who served in times of conflict, at other times these individuals served as senior members of their kin group

Brehans

judges of rule of law, often guided by oral traditions

Fili

powerful class of poets, divines, seers. Usually elevated in status to Brehans

Craftsmen

individuals highly trained in particular trades or skills

Slaves

Often slaves were captured as children or teenagers by professional raiders or slavers and sold into homes, ripped of practically all social ranks.

Kin groups

a set of people sharing some familial relationship by descent or contract (wedding, adoption), the eldest male became the social and legal head of the family

The dreaming

is the reality from which life as they know it emerged. It is the way everything has taken, life, shape, form, meaning and significance.

Songlines

Songlines go by different names such as the Dreaming, some sort of map in a sense, Songlines held all the information the people had to know to survive e.g the seven sisters told the story of where the water lines where, and to keep them clean.

Geographical context of lake Mungo

20 km long, 10km wide, 15m deep

sand dunes on its easert banks

Mungo sediments were formed 45000 and 2600 years ago, full lakes

earliest deposits: Golgol sediments, 100000, and 45000 years ago, the lakes were dry

Information found on Aboriginal people in lake Mungo, and how where they dated?

shell, dated by radio carbon dating

burials, dated by excavations, autopsies

ancient footprints, from the ice age, analysis of sediments at the top and bottom of the footprints.

Significance to Aboriginal Communtites

place of dreaming, ceremonies held

monotheistic or polytheistic?

polytheistic, with no organised pantheon, each tribe having its own specific deities

What were druids?

they were the religious leaders of the community, regarded as intermediaries between humans and gods

What were druids known for?

they were known for their wisdom, and interpreting nature and the future, casting Geissi (spells) and wearing white robes

What were their beliefs on natural sites?

they considered certain natural sides to be meeting places between the physical and supernatural

What kind of natural sites were considered spiritual?

hills, mountain tops, bogs, rivers, springs, lakes

What did they do at these spiritual sites?

they would bring offerings to bring a favourable outcome or avert community disaters

What could offerings be?

food stuffs, precious goods, animals in sacred graves, human sacrifice (often violent)

When would these rituals be held?

at times of stress, and also likely followed the phases of the moon

when did Celts first appear in Roman history?

when they sacked ROme

describing words of the Celts from their view

barbaric, savage, brave, blood thirsty, war like, fearless, naked, hospitable, primitive

ways to tell if a sculpture is of a Celt

messy hair, naked, torque around the neck

Plato

drunkards, subject to the ‘passions’

Posidonius context and view of celts

Greek philosopher, 1st BC, viewed the Celts as brave, honourable, not evil, artistic

Julius Caser

celts conducted human sacrifices

Diodorus

wild and coarse hair (limed), musceled, mustache

who found Mungo man and when

1974, Jim Bowler

What information was found about the MM being intact

use of red ochre

ritualistic burial practices

2003, estimated age is 40000 years for Mungo man, 42000 years for Mungo Lady

What is ethnography and the problems with it?

it is the study and description of living human societies and cultures

generalisation, stereotyping, comparisons between ancient and modern culture

where was Mungo man sent

ANU

what discoveries were found at ANU

large teeth, rounded skull, long-limbed, larger than modern people, lack of teeth, arthritis in right elbow.

lack of teeth was due to removal during a ritual

arthritis: from spear throwing.

what was the name of the agreement that scientist and Aboriginal people would do the work in collaboration

1989 formal agreement.

when where MM & ML returned

mungo lady 1992, mungo man 2017

Arguments for the reburial

returns spirit back to the burial place

its not for tourism and protects the body from tourism

respects cultural ties, as it was closer to how the body was found

prevents any third parties from causing damage to the body (e.g vandalims)

Arguments against the reburial

undermines wishes of previous Aboriginal generations

destroys proof of earliest existence

it should be housed on Country and celebrated.

the body will not be available for future scientific and cultural research

Arguments for delayed reburial, and preservations

all the people can be consulted

allows for further scientific analysis

celebrates the impact of Mungo Man on the understanding of Aboriginal societies

Arguments agaisnt delayed reburial, and preservations

their remains, will still be open to spectacle

dedicated council has already made their decision leading to a prolonged lack of action

cost of preservation (+plus education centre) is expensive

the body will be left in 'unrest' which is disrespectful and dehumanises the body.

when was the Urnfield culture period?

first of early celtic society, late bronze age, 1300 BCE, spoke an early form of celtic language

What where the later phases of Urnfield burial practices like?

They cremated their dead and planted the remains in pottery urns that were buried in communal plots of ground, the graves also contained ceramics, and swords

What were the earliest phases of Urnfield burial culture like?

there is a lack of archeological evidence, the earliest phases of urnfield culture had man dugg graves, lined with stone tiled floors where ashes were spread on.

when was the Hallstatt culture period?

main period in central Europe from 800-500 BC

What was the Hallstatt culture economy based on?

economy was based on mixed farming, mining of metals (iron, copper, and tin) and minerals (salt), and trading throughout Europe, trade went as far as south of the Mediterranean cultures, in the 8th BCE salt mines were at Hallstatt run

How did the Hallstatt culture spread

it was most likely spread through means such as trade, tribal alliances, intermarriages, imitation and migration

What were the living situations in the Hallstatt culture like?

until the 8th BCE, celts lived in farms and villages, in 800-600 BC, fortified hilltop settlements or oppida became common living places, the Heuneburg hillfort was an important centre of power during early iron age.

what was the La Tene culture time period?

500 - 50 BC

Where was the La Tene culture located

they were all over Europe, with sites in modern day belgium, eastern France, switzerland, and more. It was the dominant culture of central Europe especially in terms of art

What was art like in the La Tene culture

art was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean cultures, particularly the Greeks and Etruscans, items produced had intricate and decorative designs on weapons, armour, drinking vessels, and personal ornaments in bronze, silver, and gold.