Preparation, reconstruction and interpretation of seven human skeletons from the late Bronze Age (urn-field-culture) found at a storage pit in Stillfried/March, Lower Austria

In the first published paper "Stillfried-Archäologie-Anthropologie" (Felgenhauer, Szilvássy, Kritscher & Hauser 1988) emphasis of study was laid on morphological, metric and radiological analyses of the 7 skeletons from the late Bronze age (urn-field-culture) found at a storage pit in Stillfried/March in Lower Austria. The present publication deals with the methods of reconstruction of this spectacular discovery. When the skeletal material was disinterred in 1976 it was decided to make appropriate arrangements for an in-situ-presentation at a later stage. After the preparatory work and the scientific investigations were concluded, an in-situ presentation of the 7 skeletons was placed as a key-exhibit in the anthropological displays in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. The 7 skeletons represent three grown-ups and four children i.e. a man about thirty years of age, a woman of forty and one of forty five years of age, as well as a girl of nine and three boys eight, six and three years of age. The reconstruction of this outstanding discovery demanded not only an answer to the genealogical question but also an interpretation of the circumstances of death making use of forensic evidence. Additionally, the personal state of the seven individuals, their physical shape, state of health, and their racial attachment were discussed.

Archaeology · Biological anthropology · Bronze · Bronze Age · Genealogy · Girl · Interpretation (philosophy) · Presentation (obstetrics) · Forensic and Genetic Research · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · History · Medicine · Paleopathology and ancient diseases · Philosophy · Psychology · Surgery