Mellan Ben och Rum : En metrisk undersökning av relationen mellan benen och orten Västergarn

Sammanfattning

The thesis examines the degree of bone fragmentation metrically together with the material context in Västergarn, Gotland. The examined material comes from the excavations of shaft 67 and shaft 78. The squares examined were square 65 in shaft 67 and squares 3 and 8 in shaft 78. The squares were located south of house foundation 11 and northwest of house foundations 15. Each fragment was measured and weighed to examine the level of fragmentation. The fragmentation was then analyzed together with cultural taphonomic processes such as butcher marks to construct an understanding of where the bone fragments came from and what they can tell about the place where they were found. The material was however too small to reach a concrete conclusion, regarding the metric distribution and more research is needed. However, certain conclusions about the activity patterns in the area could be drawn from the limited material. The analysis revealed that the bone material consisted mainly of food and craft remains from the tannery activity that was located between house foundations 11 and 12. The position of the fragments may be due to either conscious deposition or unconscious movement to and from the activity area. Within the squares, bones from several different species were found, such as sheep/goat, cattle, pig, horse, cat, fish and several different types of birds