Public Seminar Series Cremating the Dead: Bronze Age Funerary Practices in Perthshire

In this talk, Beth Brunton will focus on the osteological analysis of the cremated human remains at Sketewan, Balnaguard, Perthshire, an Early to Middle Bronze Age funerary site.

Exploring the results of the bioarchaeological analysis of the remains that determines the cremation technology and associated funerary practices, Beth will discuss the significance of this analysis from the Perthshire site and what it can tell us about practices and how they fit into the broader picture of funerary practices in Bronze Age Scotland.

Bio

Beth Brunton holds an undergraduate degree in Celtic and Archaeology from the University of Edinburgh and is currently completing her master’s degree, also at the University of Edinburgh in Human Osteoarchaeology. Her research interests primarily focus on Bronze Age and Iron Age funerary practices, particularly those involving the destruction of the body (e.g., cremation, excarnation, disarticulation). She is also interested in understanding how funerary practices and treatments/interactions with the dead reflect aspects of identity and social structures in prehistory. 

This is a joint event organised with Culture Perth & Kinross Perth Museum.