Gristhorpe Man: a Raman spectroscopic study of ‘mistletoe berries’ in a Bronze Age log coffin burial

Abstract

In 1834 in a tumulus at Gristhorpe, North Yorkshire, UK, an intact coffin fashioned from the hollowed-out trunk of an oak tree was found to contain a well-preserved skeleton stained black from the oak tannins, wrapped in an animal skin and buried with a range of grave artefacts, including a bronze dagger, flints and a bark vessel. The remains were deposited in the Rotunda Museum at Scarborough, where closure due to refurbishment in 2005-2008 provided an opportunity for the scientific investigation of the skeletal remains and artefacts using a wide range of techniques. Dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating has established the age of the skeleton as 2140-1940 BC at 95% confidence, in the Early Bronze Age. As part of this project, Raman spectra of several mysterious small spherical objects discovered in the coffin underneath the skeleton and initially believed to be 'mistletoe berries' associated with ancient burial customs have been recorded non-destructively. The interpretation of the Raman spectral data, microscopic analysis and comparison with modern specimens has led to the conclusion that the small spheres are phosphatic urinary stones, which reflect the archaeological dietary evidence and stable isotope analysis of bone collagen of Gristhorpe Man.

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Part V

“…In 1834, in a tumulus at Gristhorpe, North Yorkshire, UK, an intact coffin fashioned from the hollowed‐out trunk of an oak tree was found to contain a well‐preserved skeleton. Raman spectra reported by Edwards and coworkers of several mysterious small spherical objects discovered in the coffin led to the initial belief that these objects were mistletoe berries associated with ancient burial customs . The interpretation of the Raman spectral data, microscopic analysis and comparison with modern specimens led to the conclusion that the small spheres are phosphatic urinary stones, which reflect the archeological dietary evidence and stable isotope analysis of the bone collagen of the Gristhorpe Man.…”

The role of mobile instrumentation in novel applications of Raman spectroscopy: archaeometry, geosciences, and forensics

“…Although laboratory based Raman spectroscopy has made novel discoveries in the analysis of archaeological biomaterials and pigments, several of the former being directly relevant to the forensic archaeology of human skeletal remains and their associated artefacts, [179][180][181] currently only one report exists in the literature where a portable Raman spectrometer has been successfully applied in this area. Edwards et al 182 have analysed using long wavelength laser excitation at 1064 nm and a portable DeltaNu Advantage spectrometer the biomaterial found encased in the cranial cavity of a decapitated human skeleton found during building excavations in 2010.…”

Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology

“…It was stained black from the oak tannins, wrapped in an animal skin and buried with a range of grave artefacts, including a bronze dagger, flints and a bark vessel. As part of the project around these biomaterials and remains, Edwards et al [23] have analysed in a non-destructive way several mysterious small spherical objects discovered in the coffin underneath the skeleton and initially believed to be 'mistletoe berries' associated with ancient burial customs. The interpretation of the Raman spectral data, microscopic analysis and comparison with modern specimens has led to the conclusion that the small spheres were phosphatic urinary stones, deposited in the coffin base during the degradation of the cadaver, proving that the supposed mistletoe berries were not correctly attributed originally.…”