Dear Greg: I had several remains (mainly the spines) of the edible sea urchin
Echinus esculentus from material retrieved by sieving through 1mm of the Later
Iron Age site of Cnip in Lewis (Western Islands, Scotland). This species is
abundant in the Hebrides. The monograph of the excavation will hopefully be
available later this year, Dr Ian Armit of Queen's University Belfast directed
the excavations.
Another reference that I have for the use of sea urchin in prehistory as food in
Scotland is:
Renfrew, J. 1993 ‘Prehistoric Britain’ in Black, M. ed. ''A taste of history.
10,000 years of food in Britain''. English Heritage. British Museum Press.
There the reference given is the bronze age site of Northton, Harris.
Hope this is of help
Best wishes
Ruby
Quoting Greg Campbell <[log in to unmask]>:
> Dear Zooarchers: A couple of years ago I posted a request for some info on
> sea urchin remains in archaeology, having been landed with a sackful by an
> Oxford professor from his Breton site who expected me to know all about them
> because they were shells... Many of you were kind enough to offer suggestions
> and lines of inquiry. The problem of minimum numbers of individuals, size
> range collected, species identification, and point on the shore exploited
> were all solved even though the tests were all very fragmentary. Results
> coming out soon. Must sieve to at least 2mm to get results that will allow
> size reconstruction and hence shore position!
>
> Now one of the great men of sea urchin studies has asked for info about sea
> urchins used for food (tests and not just loose spines), and I would dearly
> appreciate any published references or forthcoming results for my own uses.
> Prehistoric especially, but I seem to remember some remains from dark age
> Scottish Isles.
>
> Many thanks.
> Greg Campbell
--
Dr Ruby Ceron-Carrasco
Archaeology
School of Arts, Culture and the Environment
The University of Edinburgh
12 Infirmary St
Edinburgh EH1 1LT
Scotland
Tel. (0131) 6502503
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