THE ANIMAL BONES FROM THE EXCAVATIONS AT OWSLEBURY, HANTS. AN IRON AGE AND EARLY ROMANO- BRITISH SETTLEMENT.
Author(s): J M Maltby
This extensive report is concerned with the analysis of an extremely important large sample of animal bones froma small farming settlement that dated from the 4th Cent.BC to the 4th Cent. AD. There are two major themes in this report. The first deals with the detailed study of intra-site variability, particularly in the analysis of vertical variability within ditches and pits. Various indices were devised to measure this variability and the methods can be applied to other samples. The results showed that faunal samples can be significantly affected by the depth of burial. This had serious repercussions at Owslebury since the late Romano-British samples were mainly taken from layers nearer the ground surface than samples of earlier date. The second theme was concerned with the development of animal husbandry during the late Iron Age and Romano- British periods. The results showed that there were gradual changes in the relative number of species eaten.The range in size of all domestic stock increased in the Romano - British period but it was only in the late period that there were consistently larger animals represented. There were also gradual changes in mortality patterns and butchery practices. SUMMARY ABBREVIATED
- Report Number:
- 6/1987
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 568
- Keywords:
- Animal Bone Animal Remains
