Archaeologists in Sweden discovered Tiarpa in B.C. They discovered a tomb dating back to 3500 BC, notable for its absence of skulls and large bones. The grave contains the remains of at least twelve people, and ongoing DNA research aims to reveal their family and health histories.

Preliminary results of the analysis confirm that the tomb at Tiarpa is one of the oldest stone burial chambers in Sweden. “This is an early burial dating back to the early Neolithic period, around 3500 BC,” says archaeologist Karl-Goran Sjögren. The researchers also noted that some parts of the people buried in the tomb, such as skulls and thigh bones, were missing, which raised interesting questions for archaeologists.

Last summer, archaeologists from the universities of Gothenburg and Kiel excavated a dolmen, a stone burial chamber, at Tiarpa near Falköping in Sweden. Archaeologists believe the tomb has remained untouched since the Stone Age. However, it is strange that some parts of the skeletons of the buried people are missing.

Skulls and large bones are missing and may have been exhumed. We don’t know if this is due to burial rituals or what is behind it,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren.

When researchers examined the material in the grave, they found that it contained arm and leg bones, rib fragments and teeth. However, larger bones such as skulls and thigh and arm bones are very few.

“This is different from what we usually see in megalithic tombs, i.e. stone burial chambers from the Neolithic period,” explains Karl-Goran Sjögren. “Small bones of the legs and arms are often missing.”

Analysis of remains

Torbjörn Alström, professor of osteology at Lund University, examined the bone finds. His conclusion is that the bones came from at least twelve individuals, including infants and the elderly. But archaeologists still don’t know why they died.

“We did not see any injuries on the buried persons, so we do not think that this was violence. However, we continue to examine their DNA and this will show whether they had any diseases,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren.

Falköping has long been known for its numerous tombs dating from a slightly later period, around 3300 BC. Agriculture arrived at Falbigden around 4000 BC, approximately 500 years before the Thiarpa tomb was built. It is likely that the people buried in the dolmen were farmers.

“They lived by growing grain and raising animals, and they also consumed dairy products,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren.

Are those buried in the grave related to each other?

During the excavation last summer, numerous samples, including DNA, were taken from the skeletal remains.

“Preliminary DNA results show that the DNA in the bones is well preserved. This means that we can reconstruct family relationships between the people in the grave, and we are currently working on this,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren.

Falbigden is known for its many human traces from the Stone Age. There are more than 250 passage tombs, large tombs made of block stones.

“But this dolmen is older. It is about 200-150 years older than the tombs preserved in the gorge, which makes it one of the oldest stone tombs in Sweden and in the whole of Scandinavia,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren. “It’s the way it’s built. There is a small niche at each end. This is a unique situation for the graves at Falbigden,” says Karl-Goran Sjögren.