The forgotten bones of the dolmen of Carrascal (Agualva, Sintra, Portugal). Examining old human remains

Abstract

The dolmen of Carrascal (Sintra, Portugal) was discovered at the end of the 19^th century. The human bones housed in the Museu dos Serviços Geológicos (Lisbon) were re-analysed in the scope of a research program that is investigating the past lifeways of Late Neolithic populations from the central and southern regions of Portugal. Recent fieldwork under the scope of the Recovery and Valorisation project of the monument undertaken by the Sintra Municipality allowed constructional aspects of the tomb to be clarified, and the recovery of further osteological and archaeological remains. The radiocarbon dates obtained from the human bones enable us to assign this monument to an initial phase of the funerary practices associated with megalithic monumentality in Western Iberia. The assemblage comprised a minimum of 9 adults (both sexes) and 5 non-adults. Evidence of infectious disease, degenerative and metabolic changes, and a remodelled trepanation performed on a right parietal bone were noted. The dental remains yielded particularly interesting information regarding non-masticatory use of teeth, in form of chips and notches in anterior teeth. The data were compared with other collections exhumed from coeval tombs to obtain insights into the health status and behaviours of these prehistoric populations.