DOI chapter:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI chapter:Molthof, Helle M.; Baetsen, Steffen: Two new Swifterbant settlements at Nieuwegein-Het Klooster, the Netherlands: preliminary site interpretation and overview of human remains
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0091
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Two new Swifterbant settlements at Nieuwegein-Het Klooster, the Netherlands
Individual
Zone
Bone and dental elements present
Age
Sex
Notes
ID1
2
Skull; no mandible or dental elements
14-18 yrs
Male
2nd/3rd degree relative of ID5 and ID6
ID2
2
Near-complete skeleton; skull absent
10-14 yrs
?
ID3
2
Femur, fibula and long bone fragments
6-9 yrs
?
ID4
2
Near-complete skeleton; feet absent
18-20 yrs
Female
Eight cattle incisor pendants scattered around neck
ID5
3
Near-complete skeleton; lower leg bones absent
20-25 yrs
Female
Mother of ID6
ID6
3
Skull-, long bone- and pelvis fragments; dental elements
0-3 mths
Female
Daughter of ID5
ID7
2
Near-complete set of dental elements
25-35 yrs
Fema-
le?
ID8
2
Bone- and skull fragments, near-complete set of dental elements
12-18 yrs
?
ID9
1
Skull fragments and three dental elements
6-15 yrs
?
ID10
1
Two molars (and possibly two more, found ca. four metres away)
12-15 yrs
Male?
ID11
2
Long bone-fragments and two dental elements
35-45 yrs
?
ID12
2
One molar
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID16 or ID17; overlap in dental elements)
ID13
3
One molar and long bone fragments
12-18 yrs
?
Long bone fragments may not be human
ID14
2
Bone fragments and five dental elements
12-18 yrs
?
Could belong to ID1 or ID2
ID15
2
Two molars
18-25 yrs
?
Could belong to ID1
ID16
2
One molar
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID12 or ID17; overlap in dental elements)
ID17
2
Two molars
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID12 or ID16; overlap in dental elements)
ID18
2
One deciduous molar; three permanent teeth (not fully
developed)
2-7 yrs
?
Could belong to ID3
ID19
2
One deciduous molar; four permanent teeth (slight traces
of wear)
6-12 yrs
?
Could belong to ID3
ID20
1
Three decidous teeth
3-6 yrs
?
Elements 61, 63 and 64; not lost by shedding
Table 1 Overview of the individuals of Het Klooster site 1. Skeletal elements which do not with certainty represent a single individual
are noted in italics.
The human remains: discovery, grave
goods, and first 14C-results
As mentioned above, human remains were only
found on site 1. All human remains are currently
being analysed by Steffen Baetsen. Though this work
is still in progress, an overview of the preliminary
results will be presented here.
The human remains seem to be confined to three
zones within the excavated area: zone 1 is located in
the north of the site, zone 2 c. 50 m to the south, and
zone 3 is located another 100 m further south (Fig. 6).
The remains belong to at least sixteen, but possibly
twenty individuals (Table 1). Five of them were recog-
nised as inhumations during fieldwork: three in one
grave3 in zone 2 (grave 1; ID2, ID3 and ID4) and two
in another grave in zone 3 (grave 2; ID5 and ID6).
3 We are not entirely sure if ID2, ID3 and ID4 were buried at
the same time, in one pit. However, with regard to their close
proximity and similar position and orientation, and the fact that
they were removed from the excavation and investigated in one
block, this group of three individuals will in this paper be men-
tioned as ‘grave 1’.
Because of the wet and muddy circumstances, the
remains were uncovered just enough to determine
the orientation and location of the skeletons. Sub-
sequently, they were lifted en bloc together with the
surrounding clay and transported to a hall for further
investigation, to ensure dry and proper research con-
ditions (Fig. 7). In addition to the five individuals in
graves, a skull without a mandible was found a few
metres from grave 1, and was also lifted en bloc (ID1).
The other individuals are represented by human
bone fragments and teeth from the sieving residue
of a number of sampling units. In two of those cases
(ID7 and ID8), the assemblage of teeth and skeletal
elements is too coherent and too complete to be in-
terpreted as just scattered finds. They probably rep-
resent burials that unfortunately were not recognised
as such during the excavation. Three more individu-
als (ID9, ID11, ID13) consist of dental elements and
a few bones only, and five individuals are represented
only by one to three dental elements from sampling
Two new Swifterbant settlements at Nieuwegein-Het Klooster, the Netherlands
Individual
Zone
Bone and dental elements present
Age
Sex
Notes
ID1
2
Skull; no mandible or dental elements
14-18 yrs
Male
2nd/3rd degree relative of ID5 and ID6
ID2
2
Near-complete skeleton; skull absent
10-14 yrs
?
ID3
2
Femur, fibula and long bone fragments
6-9 yrs
?
ID4
2
Near-complete skeleton; feet absent
18-20 yrs
Female
Eight cattle incisor pendants scattered around neck
ID5
3
Near-complete skeleton; lower leg bones absent
20-25 yrs
Female
Mother of ID6
ID6
3
Skull-, long bone- and pelvis fragments; dental elements
0-3 mths
Female
Daughter of ID5
ID7
2
Near-complete set of dental elements
25-35 yrs
Fema-
le?
ID8
2
Bone- and skull fragments, near-complete set of dental elements
12-18 yrs
?
ID9
1
Skull fragments and three dental elements
6-15 yrs
?
ID10
1
Two molars (and possibly two more, found ca. four metres away)
12-15 yrs
Male?
ID11
2
Long bone-fragments and two dental elements
35-45 yrs
?
ID12
2
One molar
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID16 or ID17; overlap in dental elements)
ID13
3
One molar and long bone fragments
12-18 yrs
?
Long bone fragments may not be human
ID14
2
Bone fragments and five dental elements
12-18 yrs
?
Could belong to ID1 or ID2
ID15
2
Two molars
18-25 yrs
?
Could belong to ID1
ID16
2
One molar
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID12 or ID17; overlap in dental elements)
ID17
2
Two molars
25-35 yrs
?
Not from ID12 or ID16; overlap in dental elements)
ID18
2
One deciduous molar; three permanent teeth (not fully
developed)
2-7 yrs
?
Could belong to ID3
ID19
2
One deciduous molar; four permanent teeth (slight traces
of wear)
6-12 yrs
?
Could belong to ID3
ID20
1
Three decidous teeth
3-6 yrs
?
Elements 61, 63 and 64; not lost by shedding
Table 1 Overview of the individuals of Het Klooster site 1. Skeletal elements which do not with certainty represent a single individual
are noted in italics.
The human remains: discovery, grave
goods, and first 14C-results
As mentioned above, human remains were only
found on site 1. All human remains are currently
being analysed by Steffen Baetsen. Though this work
is still in progress, an overview of the preliminary
results will be presented here.
The human remains seem to be confined to three
zones within the excavated area: zone 1 is located in
the north of the site, zone 2 c. 50 m to the south, and
zone 3 is located another 100 m further south (Fig. 6).
The remains belong to at least sixteen, but possibly
twenty individuals (Table 1). Five of them were recog-
nised as inhumations during fieldwork: three in one
grave3 in zone 2 (grave 1; ID2, ID3 and ID4) and two
in another grave in zone 3 (grave 2; ID5 and ID6).
3 We are not entirely sure if ID2, ID3 and ID4 were buried at
the same time, in one pit. However, with regard to their close
proximity and similar position and orientation, and the fact that
they were removed from the excavation and investigated in one
block, this group of three individuals will in this paper be men-
tioned as ‘grave 1’.
Because of the wet and muddy circumstances, the
remains were uncovered just enough to determine
the orientation and location of the skeletons. Sub-
sequently, they were lifted en bloc together with the
surrounding clay and transported to a hall for further
investigation, to ensure dry and proper research con-
ditions (Fig. 7). In addition to the five individuals in
graves, a skull without a mandible was found a few
metres from grave 1, and was also lifted en bloc (ID1).
The other individuals are represented by human
bone fragments and teeth from the sieving residue
of a number of sampling units. In two of those cases
(ID7 and ID8), the assemblage of teeth and skeletal
elements is too coherent and too complete to be in-
terpreted as just scattered finds. They probably rep-
resent burials that unfortunately were not recognised
as such during the excavation. Three more individu-
als (ID9, ID11, ID13) consist of dental elements and
a few bones only, and five individuals are represented
only by one to three dental elements from sampling