VERTEBRATE REMAINS FROM HAUGHMOND ABBEY, SHROPSHIRE.
Author(s): B M Levitan
The bone assemblage from Haughmond Abbey, Shropshire, can be divided into two groups: the disarticulated bones which come from most of the phases, and the animal burials which come from phases 5 and 6 (16th-18th centuries). The former group (11th-18th centuries) is a small assemblage, so detailed analysis is not possible. A comparison of the proportions of the major taxa (cattle, sheep/goat and pig) with other sites shows that Haughmond Abbey is characterised by high proportions of pig bones and occupies the extreme of the range of sites in the respect. It can, however, also be seen to fit into the 'high status' pattern. The burials are a more important but more enigmatic group. There are 14 burials, 11 of pig, 2 of cattle and 1 of horse. 4 of the pigs are from phase 6 and the rest of the burials are from phase 5. Phase 5 is the post-dissolution. An interpretation, which is favoured here, is that they are disease casualties over a number of years. This would account for a number of separate burials (victims of an epidemic would probably have been buried in a single pit). What seems certain is that they are not remains from butchery processes, so do not relate to ordinary economic factors. Other options are discussed in the report.
- Report Number:
- 118/1989
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 16
- Keywords:
- Animal Bone Animal Remains
