Cremated remains have long been regarded as a highly complex material that often provides unsatisfactory results. This essay discusses the problems that arise when methods commonly used on unburned bone material are used in a cremated skeletal material. The present essay discusses the results from osteological analysis of seven cremations from Pre-Roman Iron Age from a large cemetery in Alvastra, Smörkullen. Several methods were ultimately not applied in the present study as they were insufficient for application on the relevant material. Since the methods were inapplicable and fragments available for gender assessments too low, no sex assessments were made. All individuals were considered adults, a more detailed age assessment were not possible.  The combustion rate for four of the graves were assessed to Grade 2, three graves to Grade 2 with the transition to Grade of 3, and only one grave has been assessed at Grade 3. The combined average size of the fragments was about 2.7 cm. In four of the graves the bone content corresponded to a whole individual, i.e. the grave contained the remains of a whole body. The study raise the issue of explore and develop further methods on cremated remains, foremost for sex- and age assessments.

Osteological analysis was carried out on skeletons from nine graves from a medieval cemetery in Ny Varberg, Varberg, Halland. The graves originate from a monastery and a church, dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The main aim with this thesis has been to study health through the presence of pathologies and skeletal changes. Further aim was to compare the results from the present study with theresults from Torsten Sandbergs analysis of the same material from 1964. This comparison later showed coincidence. In this study the sex estimations showed the presence of six men and three women. The age distribution among the nine individuals was homogeneous, whit the majority being middle- aged individuals. They exhibit a stature that can be expected for this time period, however, one man stands out with his180-183 cm. The incidence of dental caries, calculus and ante mortal tooth loss has been frequent. Diseases and changes that are occurring in the course of my work are: meningitis, gingivitis, osteomyelitis, periostitis, osteoarthritis, osteoma, Schmorl’snodes, spondylolysis and hypercementosis, among others. A discussion concerning health and the impact of pain is also included in this thesis. Health among the individuals has been varying; some of them probably have not been affected significantly by their disease, while other diseases have had major negative impacts onthe individuals’ mobility and quality of life, and given rise to significant pain.

Osteological examinations were executed on nine mediaeval individuals from Västergarn, Gotland, with the main aim to increase the knowledge about the people who lived there during the Middle Ages. A further aim was to compare the results from this study with other populations from the same time period, which in this case was the "Bonegathering" from Västergarn as well as previous osteological results from Sigtuna and Västerhus. Archaeological excavations have been occurring in Västergarn since 1971 and are still occurring in an educational purpose, for students of Gotland University. The age distribution of the individuals showed ages from 2 years old up to 44 years, with five adults and four children. The gender distribution show approximately five women and one man. A significant observation was made from the presence of caries and calculus, which can be observed in that some had more calculus then caries. Examples of the skeletal changes that occurred during the examinations was Schmorl`s noder, cribra orbitalia and inflammations. The comparison between other populations showed no obvious difference.

This scientific essay contains an interpretation of injuries caused by weapons and traumas on the bones from the execution site Galgberget in Visby, Gotland. The site was used from about the 13th century to 1845 AD. The purpose is to examine the injuries and describe them, also to investigate what may have generated them. An important question is what bodily position the individuals had at the time of the injury. The methods presented in this essay can be associated with experimental osteology, also the basic methods such as sex- age- and stature- assessment has been applied where’s possible. Microscopic analysis, measurements and literature studies has been carried out. To supplement the visual analysis, X-ray has been performed by medical doctor Staffan Jennerholm at Visby Hospital.The individuals from the site has relatively few injuries that consistent with executions. Some of them show traces of what may come from some sort of battle, fractures has also been investigated. This essey primarily deals with the injuries from an execution approach, parallels are also drawn to the battle of 1361 on Gotland when Valdemar Atterdag marched into the island. The small number of decapitation injuries may be due to that hanging was the primary method of execution. The reason can also be that the affected bones are still buried at the site since only approximately 20 % of the area is excavated.

The castle Vivesholm is located about two miles north of Klintehamn on the west side of Gotland. The castle was built around year 1395 and burned down in the end of the 14thcentury. Around the 17th and the 18th century the castle was re-used. However, the emphasis on its use is during the middle ages. This paper aims at getting an insight in the animal husbandry at Vivesholm by analyzing the osteological material. The analysis revealed that bones from sheep/goat were more common than bones from cattle. This means the inhabitants most probably eat meat from smaller herbivores more often than meat from cattle. Pigs have also been consumed at the castle but not in the same extent as sheep/goat and cattle. Hunting as well as fishing hasn’t had a significant role for the inhabitants of Vivesholm, at least not in terms of bones found from e.g. game and fish. The inhabitants of the castle probably had its own stock but also a supply of meat products from elsewhere. Further aim with this paper was to illustrate the use of the house foundations at Vivesholm. For this, the result from the osteological analysis was compared with the archaeological finds. The analysis revealed that Vivesholm probable were built to be in use for a long period, but when the castle was burned down in the end of the 14thcentury, the castle had an abrupt end. The different foundations, both within and outside the dyke, have been interpreted into a smithy, a storehouse, a house for cooking and a lodging house. Inside the northern parts of the castle there was a place for butchery and most of the osteological material comes from this place.

The Pitted ware dwelling site Ajvide on the west coast of Gotland in the Baltic Sea is, because of its long continuity from the late Mesolithic to the middle of the Scandinavian Bronze Age, an interesting research object concerning Stone Age in the Baltic area. In this essay, a comparison between two activity areas on Ajvide have been carried out in the purpose of finding out what these areas may have been used for during the middle Neolithic.  It has been showed, through zooarchaeological analyses of animal bones, that the areas most likely are depositing sites for slaughters refuse and food debris. If it is a result of everyday or more ceremonial activities is left undetermined.

This paper discusses an osteological- and archeological analysis of a cairn from the Bronze Age on Gotland. The osteological material consists of both burnt and and unburnt bones from both human and animal. The objective of this paper is to shed light on the individuals who were buried in the cairn. It is also to generate information about continuity in its use and patterns of distribution of the bones and grave-goods in the cairn. The osteological analysis show that a minimum of five human individuals is present in the osteological material. The result also indicate that a wide range of agegroups are represented in the human bonematerial, ranging between; Infans 2 (5-14 years), Adultus (18-44 years) and Adultus/Maturus (18-64 years). The osteological analysis also show a presence of horse, pig, sheep/goat, dog and rabbit in the cairn. Due to high fragmentation and erosion no gender assessment based on the human bonematerial was made. Grave findings connected to the cairn include among other things a razor in bronze,  a pin in bronze with a spiralshaped head, a tweezer- and a miniaturesword in bronze, ceramics, coal and flint. Some of the bronze findings indicate that one of the buried individuals in the grave is of male gender. The possible meaning and role of the grave-goods in connection to the cairn and the buried individuals is discussed further in the paper. The continuity of the cairn and its roll and meaning in the society is also discussed in this thesis.

I denna uppsats har en osteologisk analys genomförts på ett material från åtta gravhögar med en vikt på 12 kg. Benmaterialet kommer från Finström 12.1, ett åländskt gravfält från yngre järnåldern. Syftet var att se om det fanns ett mönster i gravinnehållet och om det fanns en korrelation mellan kön, ålder, djurarter och fynd. Det osteologiska resultatet samt fyndmaterialet jämfördes sedan med tre åländska och tre svenska gravfält från samma tidsperiod för att se om det finns likheter eller skillnader mellan dessa lokaler i förhållande till gravsammansättning. Speciellt fokus har satts på relationen mellan människa och djur för att undersöka om kön eller ålder av den begravda individen har haft betydelse för vilka djur man gravlagts med. Resultatet blev att de djurartkombinationer som förekommer på Finström 12.1 fanns i varierande grad på de gravfält som användes i jämförelsen. Ingen djurart kunde kopplas till ett kön och det enda fynd som i detta material kan ses som könsbundet är björnklor som här endast förekommer i mansgravar. Ett mönster finns i gravläggnigen av djur; där får/get och svin nedlades i styckade kroppsdelar medan katt, hund och häst är hela individer. I gravar utan djur eller med endast får/get finns individer från barn till äldre vuxen representerade, medan gravar innehållande katt, får/get och katt, samt gravar med får/get, hund, häst och svin förekommer endast i vuxengravar. Individer begravda med får/get, hund, häst och svin kan möjligen alla ha ett ålderspann mellan 35-64 år. Baserat på de gravar som använts i analysen upplevs gravinnehållet vara individuellt utformat. / In this thesis the burial pattern of Iron Age graves is studied. As a case study eight graves from Finström 12.1, Åland are analysed. The aim is to see if there is a correlation between sex, age, animal sacrifices and archaeological finds. The result of the analysis is compared against three Iron Age cemeteries from the Åland Islands and three from Sweden. All of the animal combinations present at Finström 12.1 existed in varying degree in some or all of the selected cemeteries. Bones from animals found in the graves, did not show a correlation to sex, except claws from bear that were found only in male graves. The individuals that were buried with no animals or with sheep/goat had an age span from children to old adults, while those who were buried with cat, sheep/goat and cat, and sheep/goat, dog, horse and pig all were adult individuals. Those buried with sheep/goat, dog, horse and pig are in the age between 34-64 years old. Based on the graves used in this analysis no distinct burial pattern is found, rather the graves seem individually formed.

This masters essay studies the stone cist phenomenon during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age on the island of Gotland. The aim of the study is to understand the importance of the stone cist in society during this period, as well as attempting to categorize the stone cists located on the island. It can be argued that society during this period was a agricultural, highly hierarchical society with indications of a power center at the west northwestern parts of the island. Stone cists can be seen having different contexts involving number of individuals, location and features connected to the cist.An osteological study has also been performed on the skeletal material from the stone cist Alskog 48:1, with the aim of getting further knowledge regarding number of individuals and the age and sex distribution of those individuals. As well as questions regarding the stone cist construction and dating. The bone material presented 26 individuals, contrary to the 15 individuals which was initially identified during the excavation. These 26 individuals were of all ages, both male and female, with a slight majority of males. The stone cist which is a natural roofless cave, a natural cist, can according to the criteria defining a stone cist, be regarded as a stone cist and not another construction. / Denna magisteruppsats behandlar hällkistor under senneolitikum och äldre bronsålder på Gotland. Frågeställningar kring hällkistans betydelse i samhället under denna tid diskuteras, samt om det är möjligt att producera en kategorisering av hällkistor. Hällkistan har varit en viktig del i det senneolitiska - äldre bronsålders samhället, utifrån dessa går det identifiera ett agrikulturellt starkt hierarkiskt samhälle med indikationer på ett maktcenter i väst nordvästra kustregionen av ön. Kategorisering av hällkistor har visat olika särdrag hos hällkistor, vilka involverar individantal, lokalisering samt ytterligare anläggningar anslutna till hällkistan.En osteologisk analys har även utförts på skelettmaterialet hällkistan, Alskog 48:1 med frågor kring individantal, kön och ålderfördelning. Samt frågor kring datering på hällkistan och dess konstruktion. Benmaterialet presenterade 26 individer, i motsats till de 15 individer som initialt antagits funnits, av dessa fanns individer i alla åldrar. Både män och kvinnor identifierades, med en liten majoritet av män. Hällkistan i fråga som är en naturlig taklös grotta, naturlig kista, enligt de kriterier som använts kan denna konstruktion anses vara en hällkista och ingen annan typ av konstruktion.

The main aim of this study is to determine whether the monastery in Ny Varberg has been used as a hospital during its active years. The second aim has been to investigate weather the buried individuals at the monastery at Ny Varberg exclusively are deceased monks. Only individuals from the monastery's active years has been included in this study. A total of 16 inhumated individuals was analysed. Both men, women and children was shown to be present, as well as wide spread of children and adults. Diseases as osteomyelitis, osteoarthritis, sinustitis a possible presence cribra orbitalia as well as other diseases was found. The diseases found at Ny Varberg speaks for a normal distribution of skeletal alterations that we as humans, obtain during life and its endurances. The fact that I, among the buried individuals Ny Varberg, could confirm the presence of women and children implicates that monks hasn't been the only group of individuals buried here. A variation in the muscle patterns among men speaks for a possible occurance of two different groups of men, possible monks and laymen. Regarding the use of the monastery as a hospital, several things points us in a different direction. Signs of disease, mainly leprosy, tuberculosis and other contagious diseases, would be expected if the monastery was used as a hospital during it's active years. These diseases haven't been found. The monastery's orientation in the city and the presence of a S:t Jörgen-chapel located close by, contributes to the interpretation regarding the use of the monastery. The conclusion that the monastery probably hasn't been used as a hospital during it's active years has been drawn. The distributions regarding age, sex and nature of the pathologies, tells us that the monastery probably was used as a monastery. This doesn't exclude the fact that they may have taken mercy upon certain cases, provided care for the monastery's benefactors or have let their laymen and families rest on their burial grounds. It is in my opinion that further studying remains before we in the fullest can pronounce the use and the character of the monastery in Ny Varberg. Further study will be profitably in the study of the individuals buried at the monastery i Ny Varberg. / "Osteoporos och osteoartritis, då och nu", Finansierat av KK- stiftelsen och i samarbete med Sabine Sten