‘Human Remains from Domestic Contexts in Iron Age Atlantic Scotland’
Ginn, V.

The paucity of formal burials outside the context of settlement
deposition led to a study of the deposition of human remains
on domestic settlements. A total of 61 sites were catalogued
and clear patterns emerged from the evidence including a bias
to the deposition in Atlantic roundhouses, seemingly equal
proportions of male and female remains, a wide variety of age
groups with some sites concentrating on juveniles, and a bias
to Orkney (in terms of the range of depositional practices,
the variety of settlement types, sites with remains of over 10
individuals, and sites with a high preponderance of juvenile
remains). Limited available radiocarbon evidence indicated
that deposition on domestic sites was most popular during
the first two centuries.

Tiree
NL 9590 4770 (NL94NE 6) Balevullin, Tiree Two crouched burials and fragments. Date and site type: U.
NM 0423 4927 (NM04NW 3) Dun Mor Vaul, Tiree Male adult torso in rubble; mandible located upside down under a stone with
several vertebra. Disarticulated remains of second adult male at base of rubble infill; bones clearly gathered some time after
death. Date: LIA/LIA+. Site type: BT

KEY
BT broch tower
CRH complex roundhouse
EH earth-house
RH roundhouse
WH wheelhouse
U unknown
EIA 700–300 BC
MIA 300 BC–AD 100
LIA AD 100–400
LIA/EP AD 400–800
LIA+ AD 400 onwards
(Discovery and Excavation in Scotland (2011), p. 208)