in England sagittally split vertebrae for all three main domesticates have been found at the hillfort at Croft Ambrey (Herefordshire), but they are generically dated to the Iron Age. Late Iron cattle examples derive from Skeleton Green (Hertfordshire). The pattern is rather common in Roman and medieval sites. For this latter period I have suggested that they are much more common in urban than rural sites (let me know if you want the paper). I suppose that the pattern intensified with increased urbanisation, but it is not peculiar to the modern era.

A Ashdown R and Evans C. 1981. Mammalian bones. 205-35. In: Partridge C. Skeleton Green. A Late Iron Age Romano-British site. Britannia Monograph Series No. 2. London.

Albarella U. 2005. Meat consumption and production in town and country. In K. Giles and C. Dyer (eds). Town and Country in the Middle Ages: Contrasts, Contacts and Interconnections, 1100-1500, pp.131-148. Leeds: Maney, Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph 22.

On 9 November 2012 16:09, V. Rajkovaca <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Dear Zooarchers,
Here is an easy question for a Friday afternoon:

You know how vertebrae, be it cattle or sheep, often show signs of carcasses being split down the sagittal plane into left and right portions? You know how it is suggested that this butchery practice does not really come into fashion until 16th century? (Is this true?) Now, we regularly find them from Early Iron Age deposits here in East Anglia, two of which we have secure 14C dates from. And then they are also common from assemblages of post-16th century date.

Has anyone else come across these from similary dated deposits (EIA)? I am curious mainly because I do not have any recollection of finding them in Roman assemblages, for instance...So, is it exclusively EIA and Post-Medieval trait? If yes, why? Would carcasses have had to be hung to achieve this? What does it mean?

Ah- so many questions.

Any thoughts on this - much appreciated. Happy Friday one and all!

Vida

--
Vida Rajkovaca Zooarchaeologist
Cambridge Archaeological Unit
Division of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
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Umberto Albarella
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University of Sheffield
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