An ancient comb carved from a human skull was found during the A14 improvement works – and offers a unique insight into the lives of people who lived in Cambridgeshire during the Iron Age.
It was among 280,000 artefacts recovered during the National Highways A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme, which took place between 2016 and 2018.
The comb was found at an Iron Age site in Bar Hill, near Cambridge, and only two other comparable examples have ever been found.
Both, interestingly, were discovered in Cambridgeshire.
The first was found in Earith, between Ely and Huntingdon, in the 1970s. The other in Harston Mill, south of Cambridge, in the early 2000s.
What was the Bar Hill Comb used for?
“To be able to see such hyper-local influences in groups of people living over 2,000 years ago is truly astonishing.”
Although the piece excavated more recently in Bar Hill appears to take the shape and form of a comb, the exact use of the object can only be theorised by experts.
But the rare piece shines a new light on rituals and beliefs in Iron Age Britain, including how human remains were looked after and sometimes modified within local communities.
The re-use of human bone seems to have been relatively common in Iron Age Britain.
Archeologists speculate objects made from human bone may have been used in special rituals relating to the dead, whereas others may have been part of everyday life.
For example, other archeological excavations in Cambridgeshire have uncovered tools for cleaning animal skins made from human leg and arm bones.
Combs made from animal bone were also common, and were used for textile work as well as for styling hair.
'The Bar Hill Comb may have been a highly symbolic'
Archeologists have noticed there is no evidence of wear on the Bar Hill Comb’s teeth, suggesting it was never used as a functional item.
But there is a circular hole drilled into the comb, allowing it to be worn as an amulet or some form of good luck charm.
Michael added: “The Bar Hill Comb may have been a highly symbolic and powerful object for members of the local community.
“It is possible it was carved from the skull of an important member of Iron Age society, whose presence was in some way preserved and commemorated through their bones.”
The Earith piece featured carved teeth, whereas the one found in Harston Mill had incised lines.
And Michael suggests that if the objects were not meant for practical use as combs, perhaps their carvings are meant to represent the natural sutures that join sections of the human skull.
He said: “These carved teeth and lines would have emphasised the Bar Hill Comb’s origin, at least amongst communities familiar with skeletal remains – as many in the Iron Age would have been.
“Rather than being an anonymous piece of bone, its symbolism and significance would therefore have been immediately apparent to anyone who encountered it.”
Research continues on over 280,000 excavated artefacts
The Bar Hill Comb will now be kept at the Cambridgeshire Archaeology Archive, where archeological materials found in the county are stored.
Its true function and significance may never be known.
Meanwhile, research on more than 280,000 other artefacts excavated during the National Highways A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme continue to reveal insights into the region’s past.
Dr Steve Sherlock, Archaeology Lead for the project, said: “This [Bar Hill Comb] is a further example of the spectacular results from the excavations for the A14 improvements, adding detail and insight into our understanding of the human activity across Cambridgeshire and beyond.”
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