Finnish and Swedish researchers have discovered new information about the clothing and burial wrappings of Stone Age hunter-gatherers who died roughly 7,000 years ago.
In the study, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences in February, researchers used the technique of microarchaeology to examine soil collected from 35 graves at the Skateholm I and II cemeteries in southern Sweden, the largest Late Mesolithic burial complex in Scandinavia.
Researchers rinsed the grave soil through fine sieves before centrifuging the water and studying the residue under powerful microscopes.
After observation, researchers noticed microscopic fragments of feathers, animal fur, and plant fibres in the soil's residue, which were then compared to modern collections of animal hairs and feathers.
The remains of feathers from various waterfowl, owls, and birds of prey, turned up in over 60% of the sampled grave soil.
More than half of all the feather remains were found in grave soil taken from the area around the skull and neck of the buried individuals, the study showed, strongly suggesting that they had been laid to rest in feathered headgear and capes.
Similarly, the remains of animal fur belonging to carnivores was discovered in the residue of soil taken around the skull and feet of those buried, indicated that the deceased were interred in fur-lined hoods and colored footwear.
The plant fibres, identified as bast from willow and linden, were found near the hands and in wrapping positions, suggesting the use of bark containers, rope, or binding materials used in burial rituals.
Grave soil can still hold wealth of information
In one of the graves, a young man had been buried sitting upright, surrounded by red deer antlers and a row of 22 beads made from red deer teeth arranged across the top of his skull.
From the soil around his head, researchers gleaned that he had been buried in an elaborate headdress, as the remains of owl feathers, hare and mustelid fur, and possibly bat skin were all found.
Soil taken from other burials, which had lacked visible, material artifacts, nonetheless yielded clear evidence of fur, feathers, plant fibres that had been buried with the dead.
The researchers stressed that old museum soil samples, long considered scientifically spent, could still hold a wealth of information.
“The study underlines the significance of birds and their feathers, and it produces fascinating new knowledge,“ said Professor Kristiina Mannermaa of the University of Helsinki. “In general, fur, plant fibres and other soft organic materials have been recovered only under specific conditions, such as in underwater sites or in glaciers.”
Using microarchaeolgy, “it is possible to find microscopic fibres even in areas with poor preservation conditions,” she said.