DATASET README

*** Kuremäe burial complex osteological and stable isotope analysis results ***

Authors: Martin Malve (1),(2),(3) & Ülle Aguraiuja-Lätti (4)

(1) Department of Archaeology, Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu
(2) University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Genomics
(3) OÜ Arheograator
(4) Archaeological research collection, Tallinn University

Contact information: martin.malve@ut.ee; uagura@tlu.ee

*** GENERAL INFORMATION ***

The data in this dataset was collected through the analysis of osteological remains discovered in 2023 and 2024 as well as collected in 1985. The skeletal remains were studied at the University of Tartu and they are kept at Tallinn University archaeological research collection. Bone samples for stable isotope analysis were taken at the University of Tartu, bone collagen extracted at Tallinn University, and collagen samples analysed for stable isotope ratios at SUERC, Glasgow University, United Kingdom. The leftover collagen samples are kept at Tallinn University archaeological research collection.

This dataset consists of two tables. The headers of the table are in both English and Estonian.

*** PURPOSE OF DATA COLLECTION ***

The purpose of collecting this data was to obtain information about the individuals buried at Kuremäe burial complex in Ida-Viru County in Estonia. The datasets are part of the corresponding research article 'Archaeological survey, rescue excavations and analysis of the Kuremäe burial complex' published in the journal Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2025, authors Martin Malve, Anti Lillak, Monika Reppo, and Ülle Aguraiuja-Lätti. The article has a summary in Estonian.

*** DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA IN THIS DATASET ***

The dataset consists of 3 files:
'README.txt' - this file.
'Table_1_Kuremäe_burial_complex_osteological_age,_sex_and_pathologies_by_Martin_Malve.xlsx' - table which contains the results of the osteological analysis carried out by Martin Malve. The translated title of this dataset is 'Kuremäe matmispaigalt leitud luustike osteoloogiline vanus, sugu ja patoloogiad'.
'Table_2_Kuremäe_burial_complex_stable_isotope_analysis_by_Ülle_Aguraiuja-Lätti.xlsx' - table which contains the results of the analysis of stable isotope ratios (‰) of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulphur (δ34S) from bone collagen of Kuremäe burials, including corresponding quality indicators for elemental concentrations (%C, %N, %S) and atomic ratios (C/N, C/S, N/S) carried out by Ülle Aguraiuja-Lätti. Sample prepration and analysis followed the methodology outlined in Aguraiuja-Lätti et al. (2022). The translated title of this dataset is 'Kuremäe matuste luu kollageenist analüüsitud stabiilsete isotoopide tulemused'.

*** Table_1_Kuremäe_burial_complex_osteological_age,_sex_and_pathologies_by_Martin_Malve.xlsx - data description ***

Burial no / Matuse nr - Skeletons 1-10 refer to individuals excavated in 2024. Barrow no 1 refers to a skeleton excavated in 1985 by Priit Ligi.
Sex / Sugu - The sex of the burials was determined according to the morphological traits on the pelvis (Phenice 1969) and cranium (Buikstra & Ubelaker 1994, 16–20), maximum length of the long bones (Garmus & Jankauskas 1993, 6–8), and tarsal bones (Garmus 1996, 26).
Age / Vanus - The age at death was determined according to tooth wear (Brothwell 1981, 72), pubic symphyseal face (Todd 1920; 1921; Brooks & Suchey 1990), auricular surface of the ilium (Lovejoy et al. 1985) and age caused changes on the limb joints (Ubelaker 1989, 84–87). The age of subadults was determined by examining the development and eruption of the teeth (AlQahtani et al. 2010) and epiphyseal fusion (Schaefer et al. 2009).
Pathologies / Patoloogiad - Pathological conditions were identified based on Buikstra (2019) and Roberts & Manchester (2012).
Stature / Kehakasv (cm) - Stature was calculated according to the formula of Trotter and Gleser (Trotter 1970), using measurements of the right femora.

*** Table_2_Kuremäe_burial_complex_stable_isotope_analysis_by_Ülle_Aguraiuja-Lätti.xlsx ***

Lab ID - Unique identification code given to the sample during stable isotope analysis in Glasgow University (GU), SUERC
Burial No - Refers to individuals excavated in 2024 and corresponds to the burial number in Table 1.
Sampled element - Samples were taken either from ribs, metatarsals, or clavicles, based on the preservation of each skeleton. These skeletal elements are histologically similar and have similar bone turnover rates, thus the choice of bone should not affect the results of the analysis in any significant manner.
δ13C - Stable isotope ratios (‰) of carbon (δ13C).
δ15N - Stable isotope ratios (‰) of nitrogen (δ15N). Nitrogen isotope ratios reflect trophic level, the lowest values are associated with consumption of plant protein, the highest (over 12‰) with aquatic protein (Schoeninger & DeNiro 1984; Hedges & Reynard 2007).
δ34S - Stable isotope ratios (‰) of sulphur (δ34S).
%C - Quality indicator for carbon concentration (%) in collagen sample.
%N - Quality indicator for nitrogen concentration (%) in collagen sample.
%S - Quality indicator for sulphur concentration (%) in collagen sample.
C/N - Quality indicator for atomic ratio of %C and %N of the sample.
C/S - Quality indicator for atomic ratio of %C and %S of the sample.
N/S - Quality indicator for atomic ratio of %N and %S of the sample.
Average - result average
STDEV - standard deviation

Despite erosion and mechanical damage to the bones, the biomolecular integrity of all samples was preserved, yielding results within the accepted thresholds for well-preserved collagen (van Klinken 1999; Nehlich & Richards 2009). 



*** REFERENCES ***

Aguraiuja-Lätti, Ü., Tõrv, M., Sayle, K. L., Lõugas, L., Rannamäe, E., Ehrlich, F., Nuut, S., Peeters, T., Oras, E. & Kriiska, A. 2022. Multi-isotopic analysis of zooarchaeological material from Estonia (ca. 200–1800 CE): variation among food webs and geographical regions. ‒ PLOS ONE, 17: 12, p.e0279583.
AlQahtani, S. J., Hector, M. P. & Liversidge, H. M. 2010. Brief communication: The London atlas of human tooth development and eruption. – American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 142: 3, 481–490.
Brooks, S. & Suchey, J. M. 1990. Skeletal age determination based on the os pubis: A comparison of the Acsádi-Nemeskéri and Suchey-Brooks methods. – Human Evolution, 5, 227–238.
Brothwell, D. R. 1981. Digging up Bones. New York.
Buikstra, J. E. (ed.) 2019. Ortner's identification of pathological conditions in human skeletal remains. Third edition. Academic Press, London.
Buikstra, J. E. & Ubelaker, D. H. (eds) 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series, no. 44. Arkansas.
Garmus, A. 1996. Lithuanian Forensic Osteology. Vilnius.
Garmus, A. & Jankauskas, R. 1993. Methods of person’s identification from the skeleton in Lithuania. – Medicina Legalis Baltica, 3–4, 5–23.
Hedges, R. E. M. & Reynard, L. M. 2007. Nitrogen isotopes and the trophic level of humans in archaeology. – Journal of Archaeological Science 34, 1240–1251.
Lovejoy, O. C., Meindl, R. S., Pryzbeck, T. R. & Mensforth, R. P. 1985. Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium: A new method for the determination of adult skeletal age at death. – American journal of biological anthropology, 68: 1, 15–28.
Nehlich, O. & Richards, M. P. 2009. Establishing collagen quality criteria for sulphur isotope analysis of archaeological bone collagen. − Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 1, 59−75.
Phenice, T. W. 1969. A newly developed visual method of sexing the os pubis. – American journal of biological anthropology, 30: 2, 297–301.
Roberts, C. & Manchester, K. 2012. The Archaeology of Disease. Third Edition. Cornell.
Schaefer, M., Black, S. & Scheuer, L. 2009. Juvenile Osteology. A Laboratory and Field Manual. Amsterdam.
Schoeninger, M. J. & DeNiro, M. J. 1984. Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of bone collagen from marine and terrestrial animals. – Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 48, 625–639.
Todd, T. W. 1920. Age changes in the pubic bone. I: The male white pubis. – American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 3: 3, 285–334.
Todd, T. W. 1921. Age changes in the pubic bone. III: The pubis of the white female. IV: The pubis of the female white-negro hybrid. – American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 4: 1, 1–70.
Trotter, M. 1970. Estimation of stature from intact long bones. – Personal Identification in Mass Disasters. Washington, 71–83.
Ubelaker, D. H. 1989. Human Skeletal Remains. Excavation, Analysis, Interpretation. Manuals of Archaeology, 2. Second edition. Washington.
Van Klinken, G. J. 1999. Bone collagen quality indicators for palaeodietary and radiocarbon measurements. – Journal of Archaeological Science, 26: 6, 687–695.