A large oak-tree trunk coffin burial was excavated from a barrow at Gristhorpe, near Scarborough, Yorkshire, in July 1834 by the antiquarian, William Beswick. The recovered skeleton underwent a series of contemporary conservation and preservation techniques, including being boiled in a glue solution, prior to being wired together in an extended position for the purposes of display. This burial assemblage has proved to be one of the best-preserved log-coffin Bronze Age burials in Britain. The skeleton, wrapped in animal skins and buried with a bronze dagger with a whalebone pommel, a bark vessel and worked flints, became a central attraction for the Scarborough Philosophical Society’s Museum and the focus of local interest for more than 175 years.

Refurbishment of the museum in 2004 provided an opportunity for modern scientific investigation of these ancient remains and associated grave goods. This book incorporates the results of multidisciplinary scientific studies undertaken during the years 2005 to 2008, co-ordinated by the Department of Archaeological Sciences at Bradford University. The results of these specialist investigations are explored within their Bronze Age cultural context. Furthermore, the implications and significance of this early archaeological investigation are considered with regard to the contemporary foundation and development of archaeological thought, theory and practice.

The closure of Scarborough Museum provided an unrivalled opportunity to analyse this burial assemblage in its totality, to reconsider each piece of evidence within the total context of the discoveries, and thus to provide new insights into this Bronze Age funerary rite for an eminent individual. The unusual burial rite, and a rare archaeological find, is explored within the context of Bronze Age society, including aspects of societal structure and inter-regional contacts. These combine well to provide insight and pose further questions relating to the life and death of the man enclosed within an oak-tree trunk, buried on a cliff top overlooking the sea.

The book presents the results of this study in a coherent and comprehensive manner, enabling a glimpse of Bronze Age life to be discerned within the chapters. The section focusing on the skeletal remains provides fascinating insight into the life of this exceptionally tall – 1.72m (5ft 7in.) – active, robust man of advancing years and evident high social status. Further insights into Gristhorpe Man’s health concerns include his healed bone fracture injuries, dental pathologies and the development of a benign cranial tumour, a rare revelation in a prehistoric burial analysis. The evidence is clearly and thoughtfully presented, accompanied by detailed illustrations and provides absorbing reading. The newly identified kidney stones of Gristhorpe Man, previously identified as ‘mistletoe berries’, exemplify the need for, and value of, modern re-analysis of curated archaeological assemblages. Isotopic analyses of the remains of Gristhorpe Man provide evidence not only of his habitual diet but also strongly suggest that he was a local man, growing up in the vicinity of his burial location. At a time of increasing trade networks and evidence for extended migrations, it seems Gristhorpe Man was a high-status local resident.

The barrow was excavated by the antiquarian, William Beswick, at a seminal time for the development of archaeology as a discipline, prior to the publication of Thomsen’s concepts of the Three Ages system. These early archaeological developments are considered and provide a platform for further discussion of the foundation of this discipline during the formative years. Early publications following the discovery resulted in Gristhorpe Man becoming synonymous with the Bronze Age and pivotal in the establishment of early archaeological theory. The extensive collaboration of authors who have contributed to this publication has achieved a wonderful synergy of evidence and interpretations that reintroduces us to the many facets of this high-status man and his prehistoric world.

The book is a showcase for the range of scientific analyses possible for the investigation of ancient human remains, associated grave goods and their burial environment and the value of the unique information this evidence may yield. It highlights the importance of retention of human remains for future study and also the significance of context, of studying the burial in its entirety and of putting the pieces back together. This book is not simply an inventory of a burial, but rather an enthralling window into the life of this enigmatic man and his Bronze Age world. Because of the clear, detailed and comprehensive presentation of material, this monograph will be of interest to a broad audience, including general interest and academic spheres. Overall, the book presents a stimulating interpretation of an intriguing burial assemblage, set in its cultural perspective and excavated during the formative years of archaeological theory and practice.