Hello all,
I am just working my way through a UK assemblage of
animal bone found in association with articulated human
bone in a paleochanel (torsos, limbs, skulls etc both
adult and lots of children). The bone was sort of trapped
behind a log jam.
Now there are a number of scenarios under which this bone
arrived in the river: deliberate dumping/ritual,
flooding, drowning, rubbish disposal etc. So I was
wondering if anyone knew of references to riverine
assemblages - particuarly those that consider how
material travels in water, how skeletons break up, the
sort of damage caused by water movement etc. I know some
work has been done on this by Ros Coard. Also anyone else
written much on animals in rivers, I know humans have
recieved interest - but non-humans?
For your interest the humans have been RCarbon dated to
the Bronze Age - and the assemblage has aurochs, red
deer, sheep, dog, and domestic cattle so far....some of
the material is butchered (defleshing knife cuts), some
not. Some eroded/rolled and some not. Complete bones and
fragments, whole huge antlers and an auroch skull....
All offer of ideas/help gratefully accepted.
jacqui
----------------------
Jacqui Mulville,
EH Regional Science Advisor (E. Mids)
Oxford University Museum,
Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW
Tel: 01865-272996 Fax: 01865-272970
|