Röekillorna unsealed – an osteological analysis of the seal remains at Röekillorna Spring

Abstract: Zooarchaeological studies have played a crucial role in understanding the pre-historic societies of Scania. The analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites has provided insights into the subsistence strategies, economic practices, and cultural beliefs of the people who lived in the region. Remains from horse, dog, wild boar, and man are commonly observed in offering and burial contexts. Despite, wild animals contributing to these contexts interpretations of these have been trivial at most. Understandably, the presence of wild animal is less, and most are inhabitants of the natural landscape further complicating their relevance. Nevertheless, marine species are not inhabitants of the immediate settlements and their prevalence in other context than waste deposits could bring light to wild animals symbolic or individual value for pre-historic societies along the coastal areas of Scania. This Bachelor thesis examines five so called offering-and/or burial contexts where remains from seal is present, as well as conducting a detailed osteological profile of 23 seal bones from one of these contexts: the wetland cult place at Röekillorna Spring in southeast Scania. No prior studies have compiled osteological data over the distribution and frequency of seal remains at offering-burial sites in the southeast region of Scania before. The results indicate – in line with Müller-Wille (1992) who included Röekillorna in his sample of cult places in Northern Europe – a small yet notable continuity from Stone to Iron age of seal bones at offering-burial coastal sites in Scania, with a complete lack thereof during the larger part of the Bronze Age. All skeletal elements from these sites belong to the Phocidae sub-species of grey seals. A detailed presentation and condition of each bone from Röekillorna will be presented in this thesis, as well as a discussion of their relevance to the deposit and a general interpretation.