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This is a parallel with the problem of the absence of convincing records of grain pests from post-Roman pre-Normal deposits in Britain. I think we have to take a pragmatic pseudo-statistical approach and say that as the grain pests are common when they are present, so they were probably at most insignificant when not found. Can't really argue that for the much rarer remains of rats, though. Harry Kenward. Prof TP O'Connor wrote: > But the securely-dated presence of rats in Britain in the Roman period > does not mean that the populations persisted into the much less > urbanised Dark Ages. I have argued that the absence of remains of rats > (but not of house mice) from York in the 5th-9th centuries AD indicates > local extinction with subsequent re-introduction as urban life got > underway late in the 9th. However, that does require arguing from > absence of evidence, which is always a little difficult! > > Terry O'Connor > > -----Original Message----- > From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tommy Tyrberg > Sent: 12 May 2003 19:51 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [ZOOARCH] > > >Dear All, > >I have recently identified a femur of black rat from a securely = > >dated late 1st/early 2nd century context at the Southwark Cathedral = > >site. >Does anyone know of any other early Roman find of Rattus rattus > in = >Britain? Any help in this matter will be very much appreciated.. > >Many Thanks from Philip > > This is of considerable historical interest since there has been a great > deal of controversy whether the Justinian Plague (and the plague > epidemics that followed it up to ca 750 AD) affected Europe north of the > Mediterranean. The conventional view is that it did not, since there > were no black rats to serve as vectors. If there was rats in Britain in > the Dark Ages, then the "yellow plague" that killed among others Maelgwn > of Gwynedd may really have been plague, it certainly happened about the > right time and is described as a "mortalitas magna". There definitely > was trade between Aquitaine/Iberia and Celtic Britain which could have > spread the infection. > > Tommy Tyrberg -- ****PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER**** Harry Kenward, Department of Archaeology, The King's Manor, University of York, York YO1 7EP, UK. (Tel. 01904 433905; email [log in to unmask])