Hi lena
Assume your talking about articulated animal remains, or as Hill (1995)
uses Associated Bone Groups (ABGs). Some of the below texts might be of
use. I've been investigating ABGs dating from the Neolithic to Medieval
periods for southern England and Yorkshire for my PhD. I haven't had my
viva yet but can send you some information that might be of use when I'm
back in the office next week.
Overall there is a continuation of these types of deposits from the Iron
Age, although there is a change in the species which are deposited in this
way. Sheep/goat are the most common ABGs from the Iron Age, dogs in the
Romano-British period. There are also differences between Romano-
British 'rural' and 'town' sites in southern England. The Yorkshire data
has a slightly different pattern. I will not get into the interpretation of
these deposits at the moment, but I'd say that ABG does not instantly equal
ritual.
Email me if you'd like any further information
cheers
Jim
James Morris
Bournemouth University
Clarke, S. 1997. Abandonment, rubbish disposal and 'special' deposits at
Newstead. In. K. Meadows, C. Lemke & J. Heron (Eds.). Proceedings of the
Sixth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference Sheffield 1996.
Oxford, Oxbow, 73-81.
Clarke, S. 1999. In search of a different Roman period: the finds
assemblage at the Newstead military complex. In. G. Fincham, G. Harrison,
R. Holland & L. Revell (Eds.). Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Theoretical
Roman Archaeology Conference Durham 1999. Oxford, Oxbow, 22-29.
Fulford, M. 2001. Links with the past: pervasive 'ritual' behaviour in
Roman Britain. Britannia, 32, 119-218
Smith, K. 2006a. Guides, Guards and Gifts to the Gods: Domesticated Dogs in
Art and Archaeology of Iron Age and Roman Britain. Oxford, British
Archaeology Reports British Series 422.
Woodward, P. & Woodward, A. 2004. Dedicating the town: urban foundation
deposits in Roman Britain. World Archaeology, 36, 68-86.
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