This was also published in the news section of Current Archaeology 219 (page 5) under the title 'Bird-Worshipping Cult in Cornwall'. This news pieces notes that Jacqui Wood, the site director, was to deliver a paper on the feather pits at WAC in June. Did anyone happen to attend?

Stephanie Vann, PhD
Archaeozoologist

> Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:07:16 +0100
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ZOOARCH] Unique witchcraft ritual or not?
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Zooarchers,
>
> I've been contacted by a journalist who wants an opinion on the
> following:
>
> http://www.archaeologyonline.org/Site%20-%20Area%20Feather%20Pits.html
>
> Just wondered if anyone has ever seen anything like this before?
>
> The information is difficult to get out of the website in any empiracle
> or useful form, but from the pictures and text, I'm not personally sold
> on the unique ritual angle. I'm sure there's a simpler explanation -
> birds dead on nest - abandoned nest, rubbish pits.
>
> It's a wet, acid deposit which explains the great organic preservation
> (and probable lack of bones). Does it just look weird because of that?
>
> The journalist said that there some AMS dates putting the remains into
> the mid 17th & 18th centuries. That's about as much as I know.
>
> There's also this article:
>
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3517036.ece
>
>
> Keith
>
> Dr Keith Dobney
> Dept of Archaeology
> Durham University
> South Road
> Durham DH1 3LE
> UK
>
> Tel +44 191 334 1119
> Fax +44 191 334 1101
> www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/?id=1221

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