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Dear Ms Cooper,

I assume from the knuckle-bone floor and the reference to industrial
activities that this site is essentially postmedieval in date and that's the
period you're most interested in. Well, do you know that there is a Phd
student at UCL called Lisa Yeomans who is working on the various bone
industries in Southwark, particularly from Bermondsey. Otherwise you can
start by looking at the following:-

Rielly, K. 2000. The animal bones. In Grainger, I. Excavations at Battle
Bridge Lane in 1995: medieval and early post-medieval development along
Tooley Street, Southwark. Surrey Archaeological Collections, 87, 36-39.

Heard, K. 2000. A Post-medieval tawyers' yard in Bermondsey. London
Archaeologist vol 9. no.5. 137-143.

The knuckle bone floor is interesting and clearly a rare find in London. As
far as I know, the capital has produced, to date, a scrap of a floor
composed of cattle metapodia at St Mary Spital (MoLSS assessment), and a
rather unusual one, composed of sheep metapodia from Bermondsey. Have a look
at:-

Divers, D., Killock, D. and Armitage, P.L. 2002. Post-medieval development
at 8 Tyers Gate, Bermondsey. London Archaeologist 10. No 3. 69-75.

and for more information on this subject:-

Armitage, P. L, 1989 Gazetteer of sites with animal bones used as building
material. In Serjeantson, D. and Waldron, T. (eds) Diet and Craft in Towns.
B.A.R. British series 199, Oxford, 201-223

Can you perhaps tell me a little bit more about this floor? is it cattle
bones? distal ends up and mainly fused like the ones mentioned in the
gazetteer? what date is it?

All the best

Kevin

Kevin Rielly
Archaeozoologist
Museum of London Specialist Services
Tel: 020 7566 9332
Fax: 020 7490 3955

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http://www.molss.org.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: Jill Hooper [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 28 July 2003 22:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ZOOARCH] Animal Bone Use in Southwark, London


I am an MA student at the Institute of Archaeology (London). My
Dissertation is on the use of animal bones in Southwark.

My starting point is an assemblage from Lant St 1999.Which is a mix of
domestic, commercial and bone working waste, plus a knuckle bone floor, and
bone artefacts.

Questions

Slaughter houses in the area.

What animal parts(esp bones) and animals used for;-
    Tallow - candles, soap, commerial and technical grease
    Glue
    Leather/skin working
    Bonemeal - ? involvement of rag and boneman
    Boneworking
    Dog/cat food

Where did they get there raw material - slaughter house, butcher,
domestic/commerial waste?

Identification of, end of process waste, is it poss?

Would welcome comments on any studies, articles or other sites which may
help fill in my gaps?



Many thanks
Jill Hooper