Bronze Age mass burial found in Scotland

"The barrow was discovered in an archaeological investigation during the construction of a new access route to Twentyshilling Wind Farm. In a pit in the center of a ring ditch were five urns in fragments. The burial pit and urns contain fill with a mixture of alder, birch and hazel charcoal. Some hazel nutshells were also recovered from the pit and the urns."

"One urn, which survived in 54 sherds, contained the cinerary remains of one adult and an animal. The second urn, composed of 245 sherds, contained the cremated bones of one adult and one adolescent. The third, consisting of 200 sherds, also contained the remains of an adult and a juvenile. The fourth urn, surviving in 350 sherds, contained the cinerary remains of one adult, plus grains of emmer wheat and barley."

"The most damaged vessel consisted of only 30 sherds in poor condition, but the fill was still packed in the space well enough to identify the remains of one adult, one juvenile, plus willow charcoal and a grain of barley. Additional human remains were found when the fill of the burial pit was sieved. The ring ditch also contained a mixed assemblage of alder, birch and hazel wood charcoal with traces of hazel nutshell."

A Bronze Age barrow in southwest Scotland contained cinerary remains of at least eight people buried in a single event dated to 1439–1287 B.C. Five urns were packed tightly in a pit at the centre of a ring ditch, indicating a single mass burial, perhaps of a family group. The burial pit and urn fills contained alder, birch and hazel charcoal and hazel nutshells, and some urns contained grains of emmer wheat and barley. Individual urn contents included adults, adolescents, juveniles and an animal. Additional human remains were recovered during sieving, and moderate stones atop the fill are believed to be remains of a cairn.

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