Saturday 28^th September 2013.

On a beautifully sunny day (it would have been perfect for digging!) 13 people, including several local residents, assembled in Amerdale Village Hall, Arncliffe, where Dr Jo Buckberry of Bradford University gave us an excellent presentation on what human bones can tell archaeologists. 

Jo with the plastic cast bones  (c) photo by Jane Lunnon  

Her talk was well-structured and highly informative, with fascinating insights into the science of osteoarchaeology.

Handling the casts (c) photo by Jane Lunnon 

Jo had also brought along some plastic casts of human bones which we could have a close look at, including a couple heavily scarred or deformed by disease and trauma.

And then of course there were Ruth’s sheep bones! 

Vena and the boys looking at Ruth's sheep bones  (c) photo by Jane Lunnon

A few years ago she decided to sweep up the skeleton of a dead sheep which had been lying on the hillside at Chapel House Wood, take it home, disinfect and bleach it clean. Odd hobby, this archaeology….

  

Jane Lunnon, UWHG