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Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
These are the well preserved remains of an adult (25-44 years) female. She was 146.6cm (4 foot 9.7 inches) tall. She is from Burial Phase J and radiocarbon dated to 801-992 AD.
She was buried in a crouched position on her right side with her legs tightly flexed in front of her pelvis, her right hand tucked under her jaw and her left hand rests in front of her pelvis. Her burial is oriented North-South. This kind of burial is very uncommon in the Five Mile cemetery with only 2.1% of burials in a N-S orientation and only two adult females crouched in this way. Medieval crouched burials are extremely rare in Wales.
Analysis (strontium and oxygen isotopes) indicates she was local to the area.
Her teeth showed the signs of periodontal disease which is undermines the bone around teeth and is caused by the build up of plaque, calculus, abcesses or metabolic diseases. Of the 110 adults with preserved mandibles, 26.4% showed signs of periodontal disease and it was most common among older adults. Of those with periodontal disease, 72.4% were only slight.
She did not display any other pathological conditions that could indicate why she was buried in this distinct crouched position.
The burial is associated with SK29
Site Name: Five Mile Lane, Vale of Glamorgan
