⌚ Case Study: The Lindow Man

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Case Study: The Lindow Man



Aldhouse-Green, ; Brothwell, Case Study: The Lindow Man Giles, ; Lacy They have similar features but are still adapting, growing, and changing. The Argumentative Essay About Netflix Iron Age. They wanted to prevent his remains from decaying Case Study: The Lindow Man he had been removed from the bog. Weapons, fighters and combat: spears and swords in Early Bronze Age Scandinavia. Antiquity, 79,

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The focus of this work has been on the modelling of the palaeolandscapes of bogs, building on previous research combining borehole survey, radiocarbon dating and palaeoenvironmental analyses e. Following a preliminary investigation using archive data Chapman , research at Lindow Moss has focused on a comprehensive borehole survey across the whole of the bog, targeted sampling for palaeoenvironmental analyses and radiocarbon dating aimed at modelling the evolution of the landscape from initial wetland inception onwards. To date, this research has demonstrated that Lindow II Lindow Man and the other bodies from the Moss were deposited and perhaps killed in locations far from the contemporaneous wetland edge, almost equidistant from all areas of adjacent dryland.

Given that previous research indicates that, just prior to Lindow Man's deposition, surface conditions at Lindow Moss were becoming wetter and hence harder to cross Barber , it seems significant that the bodies were deposited in such relatively inaccessible places. The particular focus of our project is understanding the landscape context at the time of the deposition of the bog bodies. Due to extensive peat cutting on many bogs, such as Lindow Moss, we are very much aware of the limited survival of peat layers contemporary with the bodies. However, by understanding the three-dimensional shape of the original peatland basin and dating the inception and spread of wetlands, it is often still possible to establish an understanding of the earlier landscape development.

From this, it is possible to generate predictions on the likely level of peatland spread within the basin by the time of bog body deposition. Using this approach, we believe that there is considerable potential in understanding landscape development even where contemporaneous peat deposits are no longer present. The above is a brief overview of my project. Thus, the exact probability of a weapon being a spear relative to a dagger is given by after making the subject in equation 1 gives equation 2 :. The model was fitted using the training data, and then cross-validated based on the validation data.

All statistical analyses were carried out in R statistical software version 3. The fitted model was further used for predicting the weapon type either a dagger or a spear for wounds on Lindow man II and Huldremose woman. There are limitations of the study and pre-existing bias through factors such as: diversity of stature heights within the volunteer group, lack of experience handling weapons, degree of diagnosis of the environment Lynnerup , the mummification process of bog bodies, and distortion of prehistoric wounds. Therefore, the BMI groups tested have no significant effect on the incision areas created by the two weapons; thus, the wound areas are not able to differentiate assailants based on BMI. Figure 5 is a boxplot showing the distribution incision areas by the two weapons across the BMI groups.

More testing with a larger control group may be required for future analysis. A characterisation of the wounds was produced for a visual and metric comparison of weapon types. Literature that records bog body soft tissue trauma often limits measurements to only length of laceration. Perhaps the lack of a width measurement in the majority of studies is due in part to distortion of the wounds and potential shrinkage that has occurred.

Depth was not measured because it would be impossible to measure this within bog bodies due to distortion and fragility of the remains. The dimensions were then calculated into averages for future references. For stab marks produced by a dagger, the area ranges from This differs from the stab marks produced by the spear, whereby the area ranges from 0. Nevertheless, the averages between the two weapons are close, and while a dagger has a tighter range than the spear, it may be difficult to distinguish these types of stabs.

In contrast, the spear incisions tended to droop vertically See Figure 6. However, visual comparison of the stab wounds produced by the volunteers and those present on bog victims is inconclusive due to distortion. The third test compared the experimental group data with the controlled group — incisions observed on bog bodies to see if there was a connection using measurements provided by Brothwell et al. The logistic regression model was used to predict whether a spear or a dagger caused the wound, given the wound length. The predictive power of the fitted logistic model was very high since all the accuracy measures were between 0.

From Table 2, higher wound lengths on a bog body or any individual will suggest a greater chance of the weapon used being a spear than a dagger by approximately 0. Lindow man is a prime example of overkill with his neck garrotted and slashed, multiple stab wounds, and blunt force trauma to the head Stead et al. The axe was the most probable for the combined sharp and blunt force trauma to the occipital region of the head Chapman and Gearey, , p. The dagger was possibly utilised to inflict the stab wound to the right side of the neck. The lesion located on the chest may have been produced by either a spear or dagger. However, the nature of the lesion suggests the use of a thrusting spear because the energy generated deflected when the weapon hit the clavicle.

However, it appears that the trauma produced on the individual was spear oriented. These predictions, of course, may change when new weapon types are introduced, as this test is isolated to only a spear and dagger comparison. Huldremose woman suffered lesions to her leg, although some damage resulted from the excavation spade, not post-mortem overkill See Figure Her arm was severed, but this is also possibly the result of spade damage instead of peri-mortem dismemberment. However, Fischer , p. Nevertheless, the lesions reported from her leg correlated with both knife and spear dimensions, which suggest either were used to inflict the damage.

Predictions were made with the fitted logistic model for Huldremose woman, using the same conditions and volunteer data See Figure From Figure 11, it is very clear that the probability of a spear to inflict a wound of size below 30 mm on Huldremose woman is very low, and thus, suggests a dagger attack for wound length below the aforementioned threshold. However, as this incision comes from her leg, the correlation may be coincidental, and the actual cut may result from spade damage. Aldhouse-Green, ; Brothwell, ; Giles, ; Lacy Therefore, it follows that the weapons with which the community identifies, would be used to perform such ceremonies. As a result, reconstruction of the wound created from specified weapons utilised could represent communal identity and the collective practice of bog funerary performances.

Further research is required to confirm the validity of the relationship between weapon, assailant, and wound dimensions. The binomial logistic regression can effectively classify between two weapon types, given some predictors of interest. To extend the binary logistic to classify more than two weapons, a multinomial logistic regression model and other predictive models including machine learning algorithms can also be employed in future studies. Based on the predictions of the weapon type and the lesions observed from Lindow Man II and Huldremose woman, it can be confirmed that there were differing incisions made by the two weapon types — spear and dagger.

Likewise, strike dimensions produced by the volunteer control group showed the closest range of wound dimensions to the BMI mean 18 to With increased bog body discoveries in recent years and thus a larger number of available case studies, research into alternative prehistoric funerary practices has the potential to be broadened in archaeological and forensic methodologies. Expanding sharp force trauma studies would be extremely beneficial in prehistoric contexts because often modern forensic methodologies do not apply as they mainly focus on terminal ballistics Venara et al.

Studies involving prehistoric stab wounds on surviving dermal layers and soft tissue are limited to non-existent. The lack of formative study of bog body trauma had made sense in the past when there were minimal case studies. However, over the past century, increased drainage operations, agrarian intensification, and peat cutting operations have revealed abundant research material.

Forensic sciences have been vital in delineating the cause of death and trauma performed peri- and post-mortem in modern times. However, to take the next steps in prehistoric forensic studies, we must perform similar experiments to create both the assailant and victim profiles, including weapon types. Perhaps in understanding not only the individual in which violent bog deaths were enacted upon but also those who participated, archaeologists can begin to reconstruct bog burial funerary performances.

Mathematical predictive models can also help classify different weapon types based on relevant information and existing empirical data of bog bodies. The current study can be expanded by comparing different classes of predictive models such as the traditional logistic regression models and machine learning algorithms in distinguishing between weapon types based on empirical data. These comparisons will help identify the best predictive model, robust enough to solve current forensic and classification problems of bog bodies. Aldhouse- Green, M. Bristol: Tempus Pub Limited. Aufderheide, A. The scientific study of mummies. London: Cambridge University Press. Allan, T. The archaeology of the afterlife: deciphering the past from tombs, graves and mummies. London : Duncan Baird Publishers.

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Secrets of the bog bodies: the enigma of cyp iapt principles Iron Age explained. Manifestation In Grendels Isolation example, prior to deposition in a bog, Clonycavan man, excavated in Ireland, Case Study: The Lindow Man provided with a final meal. Aufderheide, A. He was around 25 years old when he died. While commonly utilised disadvantages of radio waves a long-distance weapon, spears were also short distance thrusting weapons, and similar to daggers Ross,p.