Southern England: A Review of Animal Remains from Saxon, Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeological Sites
Author(s): Matilda Holmes
Presented here is a zooarchaeological review of assemblages from 323 sites within southern England. Data are summarised for each of the major periods (Saxon, medieval and post-medieval) based on the primary themes of food, symbolic and social exploitation, animal husbandry, redistribution of animals and animal products, and inter-site analysis. Findings are then synthesised to look at more specific temporal trends relating to the key ideas around the provisioning of sites, visibility of social hierarchies through food and symbolism, changes in the local fauna resulting from introductions, over-hunting and extirpations, economic uses of animals, the effect of increasing urbanisation and regional differences. Other, more specific, themes relate to the visibility of the Agricultural Revolution, coastal exploitation and diet. The final chapter pulls together the results of the survey to provide a research framework for zooarchaeological analysis undertaken in the south of England. As well as highlighting gaps in current knowledge it includes recommendations for future work.
- Report Number:
- 8/2017
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 292
- Keywords:
- Animal Remains Medieval Post Medieval Research Strategy Zooarchaeology Saxon
