Finding Frequent Item Sets in Buried Grave Goods

Access the GitHub repository for the project here

Note: This project was developed as a term paper study for the graduate level course CSCI-6443-Data Mining under Prof.Bellaachia. The following is the abstract from the final term paper submission. Access the full text version of the article here. View a brief presentation here.

In this case study, the data repository maintained at the Digital Archive for Grave Goods: Objects and Death in Later Prehistoric Britain as maintained by the UK’s Archaeology Data Service was used. This database contains information on grave artefacts from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The objective of the study is to use the dataset to explore relationships amongst the burial site attributes and the grave goods using association rule mining to identify the significance of specific goods occurrences within distinct cultural contexts and periods resulting in a holistic view of burial practices in older civilizations.

Starting with data from the region of East Yorkshire, the application of the Apriori algorithm produced the frequent item sets. In this case, the presence of the set (Brooch, Animal remains, Pot) might suggest a burial practice where individuals were adorned with brooches, and animal remains and pots were included in the burial as offerings or for symbolic purposes. Further, he presence of spearheads and swords together could indicate a warrior burial or a community with a strong martial tradition. The presence of (Scabbard, Sword) set reinforces the martial aspect, suggesting the inclusion of sword-related items in burials. In addition the presence of (Scraper, Knife) set might suggest a burial related to craftsmanship or daily activities involving tools. The presence of a chariot or cart along with animal remains might indicate a burial with elements of transportation and perhaps a higher social status.

Next, for the region of Kent, the presence of the combination of a bucket and brooch might suggest a burial with items associated with personal adornment and daily use. The identification of the (Beads, Animal remains) set could further indicate a burial with a focus on personal ornamentation and the importance of animals in the cultural or economic context. The combination of (Bucket, Animal remains, Pot) suggests a burial with a mix of functional and symbolic artifacts. For the region of Cornwall, the presence of (Brooch, Rings) set suggests a burial with items associated with personal adornment, indicating a focus on aesthetics – similar to Kent. The presence of shells and animal remains might signify a burial with items related to the natural environment or possibly ritual practices. The (Pebble, Arrowhead) set is intriguing and may suggest a burial with items associated with hunting or ritual significance.

Finally for the region of Orkney and Outer Hebrides, the item sets identified are by far the most characteristic and definitive of the 4 sites studied. The (Point, Animal remains) set could indicate a burial associated with hunting or possibly ritual practices. The (Beads, Awl) and (Beads, Blade) sets suggest burials with items related to craftsmanship or personal ornamentation. The (Flake, Scraper) and (Flake, Scraper, Pot) sets suggest burials with items associated with tool use and possibly daily activities. Thus Orkney and Outer Hebrides burial finds suggest a population with a strong focus on hunting, craftsmanship, and daily tool use.