Document record MAB58292 - SCOTSTOWN

Site of a short cist which contained an inhumation, a beaker, two flints, and copper and organic matter.

The stone cist was excavated in 1975 after its discovery on a residential building site. It was found on the top of a rise, a typical position for burials of the period. The burial comes from the 'Beaker' culture, widespread in Britain in the late third and early second millennia BC. The cist consisted of four side slabs with a granite cover slab, forming a box measuring circa 60 cm by 91 cm. On the white quartz and red sandstone pebbled floor was a crouched male skeleton, his legs folded bent underneath him, and lying on his left side looking south. The inhumation was substantially complete.

Analysis of the remains has shown that the male was aged between 33-35. He was around 5 ft 9 in tall, and the wear on his teeth indicated that his diet contained quantities of grit from food preparation. Further wear of his jaw occurred on the right side, which could suggest that his occupation involved using his teeth to hold or pull something while performing a task with his right hand. A circular lesion on the skull suggests that a sebaceous wen, or growth above his left eye, may have impaired his appearance. A significant feature of his health is a lesion on the pubic bone, which possibly originated from cancer of his prostate gland: if so, this is the only recorded case of the disease in prehistoric Britain.

The grave goods included a beaker that was placed at the bottom of his back. The main decoration on the beaker is fairly common, with incised triangles and various patterns filling them. Also in the grave were two small flints, one placed beside his knee and the other beside his forearm. From a small green stain found on the floor, it has been suggested that a small copper object, perhaps a pin or awl, was also present, but has since decayed. The corners of the grave were sealed with red clay, which would have had to be brought to the grave from about two miles away. The pebbled floor was covered in black organic material, which indicated that a layer of plants or leaves had been put in the grave before the body was placed in it.

RALSTON, IBM, 1975, DES, 57, pp 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1543.

Evening Express, 1977, Evening Express, Thursday, January 13 1977, pp 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB37339.

Record last edited

Jul 8 2026 8:21PM