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Ritual and Funerary Rites in Later Prehistoric Scotland: An Analysis of Faunal Assemblages from the Covesea Caves
Fitzpatrick, Alexandra L.
Fitzpatrick, Alexandra L.
Publication Date
2020
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Bond, Julie
Buckberry, Jo
Armit, Ian
Büster, Lindsey S.
Buckberry, Jo
Armit, Ian
Büster, Lindsey S.
Rights
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
Peer-Reviewed
Open Access status
Accepted for publication
Institution
University of Bradford
Department
School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences
Awarded
2020
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Abstract
The Covesea Caves are a series of later prehistoric sites that form a complex
mortuary landscape. Previous excavations of the caves have provided evidence for
the decapitation, disarticulation, and intentional deposition of human remains.
Although there has been substantial analysis of the human remains, there has been
little consideration of the significant number of faunal remains recovered during
numerous excavations. This research represents the first focused examination of the
extensive zooarchaeological record from the Covesea Caves, with an emphasis on
investigating characteristics of the faunal bone related to taphonomy and processing
in order to provide a proxy for the complex funerary treatments to which the human
remains were subject.
Analysis of Covesea Cave 2 revealed a narrative of ritual and funerary activities,
from the Neolithic to the Post-Medieval Period. Zooarchaeological analysis has
illustrated how certain species were significant in ritual activity, and thus utilised
specifically in funerary rites. The results from this research shed more light on past
cosmologies and the importance of non-human species to humans in both life and
death.
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Type
Thesis
Qualification name
PhD