ABSTRACT

This chapter explores iconoclasm in relation to the human body through the examination of the two themes of transformations in life and transformations in death. The different types of transformation experienced by the human body in prehistory can be seen within the frameworks of breaking and re-making. The wealth of information about clothing and appearance associated with these Bronze Age individuals is not forthcoming for subsequent periods of prehistory, with the evidence more strongly biased towards the exceptional deposition of bodies within bogs, commonly associated with an unnatural death. Through the investigation of human remains and material culture, archaeology is commonly the interpretation of narratives of life. Assessment of the locations of these tattooing points revealed that nine of the fifteen were located on or within 5mm of recognised acupuncture points, relating to conditions that the Iceman suffered from including arthrosis of the lumbar spine.