Di Sma Undar Jårdi : An osteoarchaeological analysis on intrusive infant burials on Gotland, Sweden

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates intrusive infant burials on Gotland between the Bronze, Iron and Middle Ages. Methods drawing from the fields of archaeology, ethnology and osteology (mainly spatial analysis) have been used to discuss reasons behind the practise in the 20 identified sites on Gotland and compare extractable theories on sites with and without an osteological analysis. To further the discussion, detailed osteological analysis, including the diagnosing of identified pathologies, was performed on infant skeletal remains from the Iron Age site of Buttle and the Mediaeval church of Saint Hans. Theories applied include palimpsest, the osteological paradox and the bioarchaeology of care, which have been used to identify and discuss patterns of deposition and use of the sites, the health status of Gotland’s infant population and signs of childcare during (pre)history.