Table 3. Artefacts from the cremation experiment


Fig I. Artefacts burned on the pyre together with the sow.

Fig II. Position of artefacts before burning.

1. Fragment of chain armour

Made of soft iron, zincked. Position in the burial: around the neck, against the skin.
Fig. 1_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 1_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 1_3 (after burning)

2. Shield boss

Made of iron, coloured with brown paint, diameter 19 cm. Position in the burial: on the right side of the animal, against the skin.
Fig. 2_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 2_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 2_3 (after burning).

3. Steel knife

Position in the burial: on the blanket, behind the back, at the middle part of the body.
Fig. 3_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 3_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 3_3 (after burning).

4. Iron rod

Position in the burial: on the blanket, on the front side of the body, partly against the skin.
Fig. 4_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 4_2 (after burning).

5. Sheet of quenched steel

Position in the burial: on the blanket, on the front side of the body.
Fig. 5_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 5_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 5_3 (after burning).

6. Steel mounts

Position in the burial: between the hoof of the right hind leg.
Fig. 6_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 6_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 6_3 (after burning).

7. Piece of bronze sheet

Made of bronze with a high content of copper. Position in the burial: on the blanket, behind the back, next to knife.
Fig. 7_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 7_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 7_3 (after burning).

8. Bronze mounts

Four rectangular bronze mounts. Position in the burial: on the blanket, behind the back. Two were found after the burning.
Fig. 8_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 8_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 8_3 (after burning)

9. Ornamental bronze mount

Position in the burial: on the blanket, behind the back on the side of the sow, near the rectangular mounts.
Fig. 9_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 9_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 9_3 (after burning)

10. Mount

A fishtail-shaped mount made of bronze with high copper content. Position in the burial: on the right side of the trunk, against the skin.
Fig. 10_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 10_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 10_3 (after burning)

11. Chain-holders

Two bronze chain-holders. Position in the burial: one of them on the front side of the body, on the blanket; the other on the right side, against the skin.
Fig. 11_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 11_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 11_3 (after burning)

12. Brooch

A bronze brooch-blank. Position in the burial: on the front side of the body, on the blanket.
Fig. 12_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 12_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 12_3 (after burning)

13. Finial of flag

A bronze finial of a Finnish army flagpole. Cast of bronze with high copper content.
Fig. 13_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 13_2 (after burning)

14. Fragment of a neck ring made of copper wire

Position in the burial: around the right ear, twisted together with cupronickel wire (see Fig. 15_2).
Fig. 14_1 (before the burning process), Fig. 14_2 (after burning)

15. Fragment of cupronickel neck ring

Position in the burial: around the right ear, twisted together with copper wire.
Fig. 15_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 15_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 15_3 (after burning)

16. Piece of silver sheet

Position in the burial: behind the back, inside a clay vessel.
Fig. 16_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 16_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 16_3 (after burning)

17. Strip of silver sheet

Position in the burial: around the hoof of the right foreleg.
Fig. 17_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 17_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 17_3 (after burning)

18. Antler fragment

Position in the burial: between the right foreleg and the trunk.
Fig. 18_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 18_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 18_3 (after burning)

19. Disc of horn/antler

Position in the burial: on the front side of the abdomen, against the blanket and skin.
Fig. 19_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 19_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 19_3 (after burning)

20. Processed piece of horn/antler

Position in the burial: on the right side of the abdomen, against the skin.
Fig. 20_1 (above on the photo); Fig. 20_2 (position in the burial); Fig. 20_3 (after burning)

21. Processed piece of bone (see Fig. 20_1 below in the photo)

Position in the burial: on the front side of the body, between two forelegs, against the skin (see Fig 18_2). Were not found after the burning process.

22. Ornamented bone plate (Fig 20_1 centre in the photo)

Position in the burial: on the front side of the body, next to the neck, the ornamented part between the neck and the blanket, the rest of it on the blanket.
Fig. 22_1 (position in the burial); Fig. 22_2 (after burning)

23. Cowry shells

We placed 11 cowry shells on the body. All were varnished except for one. Position in the burial: 2 in the left ear, 1 in the mouth between teeth, 1 on the neck, 2 between the neck and the left foreleg, 5 in the clay vessel, including the unvarnished shell.
Eight were found after the burning process.
Fig. 23_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 23_2; Fig. 23_3 (after burning)

24. Pottery

Hand-moulded fine-grained clay vessel. A piece of silver sheet (no. 16) and five cowry shells (no. 23) were placed inside the vessel. Position in the burial: on the blanket, behind the back, (see Fig. 16_2).
Fig. 24_1 (before the burning process); Fig. 24_2 (after burning)

25. Strip of leather

Tanned with vegetable tanning agents. Position in the burial: thrown over the right side of the animal. Were not found after the burning process.


Folklore 37