Hello Jill,

Amphibians are widely known to choose sites like that for hibernation. Both frogs and toads (and newts) can burrow into the soil and seek places underground. They have been known to hibernate in quite large groups too, although often singly or just pairs - often one male and one female - this is so the male is first with the female when the breeding season arrives. I have also known of one (modern) colony of frogs that lived in a world war 2 brick/concrete flooded pillbox.

I have found amphibian bones in whole pots and in a coffin here in Norfolk.

Best wishes, Julie
========================================
Message Received: Nov 17 2010, 01:58 PM
From: "Jill Weber"
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] amphians as grave goods

Hi Christian -

I have several examples of frogs or toads found in tombs in northern Syria that all date to the second half of the third millennium BC.  Complete skeletons of up to 35 individuals were found in communal, closed tombs.  Many of the bones were found inside of ceramic vessels.  In one case, over 25 individuals were found in a single vessel.  I have the same questions as you do about their appearance.  Were they deliberate additions or did they find their way into the tombs seeking food/flies/moisture?

Jill Weber


2010/11/17 Christian Küchelmann <[log in to unmask]>

Dear all,

I'd like to know if anybody knows of comparable finds to a peculiar find situation from Xanten, Lower Rhine, Germany.

In a Merovingian grave (early 7th century AD) within the dome of Xanten six amphian mummies have been found in 1956. They were placed together in a bowl. According to the other grave goods (beads, glas vessels, a gold fibula) it was probably the grave of a female, but there are no skeletal remains left for anthropological analysis. An intrusion of hibernating amphibians seems nearly impossible as the grave was made from tight closed stone slabs and it was found intact let alone the find situation in a bowl. The species of the amphibians has not been identified yet. They are belonging to the order Anura, but it is not clear yet if they are frogs or toads.

Any comment welcome.

Best

Christian

--
KNOCHENARBEIT

Hans Christian Küchelmann
Diplom-Biologe

Konsul-Smidt-Straße 30, D-28217 Bremen, Germany
tel: +49 - 421 - 61 99 177
fax: +49 - 421 - 37 83 540
mail: [log in to unmask]
web: http://www.knochenarbeit.de
web: http://www.knochenarbeit-shop.de