W. Prummel

A guide for the distinction of species, sex and body side in bones of sheep and goat

Abstract Morphological criteria are described that were found to be the most successful for distinguishing between skeletal fragments of adult sheep (Ovis) and goats (Capra) in the Western European, early medieval sites of Haithabu and Oldenburg in Holstein. It is emphasized that a sufficiently large sample should be observed. In addition, methods are given for distinguishing sex in the pelvis, and body side in distal metacarpus and metatarsus ends.

Archaeological evidence of former occurrence and changes in fishes, amphibians, birds, mammals and molluscs in the Wadden Sea area

Animal remains are well preserved in archaeological sites, especially the terp sites, of the Wadden Sea area of Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands. Here, we provide an overview on the wild mammals, birds, fishes, amphibians and molluscs found in coastal sites dating from 2700 to 2600 B.C. and 700 B.C. to A.D. 1600. Coastal people used a variety of animal species for food and other purposes. Hunting, fowling, fishing and agriculture did not have much influence on wild stocks in the period from the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age until the late Middle Ages. However, large changes to the landscape were made in the late Middle Ages by diking and damming. As a result, some species such as the northern vole (Microtus oeconomus) and the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) disappeared from the area except for some dune districts on the islands, and others became rare, such as the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and the lagoon cockle (Cerastoderma lamarcki). New habitats arose for birds of dry meadows and fields, like lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) and black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) disappeared from the Wadden Sea within a few decades since A.D. 1890 due to the destruction of spawning grounds by damming and high exploitation pressure. Our findings are important for the ecological history of the region.

Evidence of Hawking (Falconry) from Bird and Mammal Bones

This paper deals with the archaeozoological and archaeological evidence for hawking, or falconry. The methods and history of hawking in Europe are described, after which five types of evidence for hawking are discussed. These are illustrated with material from the Slavonic stronghold of Oldenburg in Ostholstein, in the north of Germany, dated to AD 750-1150. # 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol., 7: 333-338 (1997) No. of Figures: 5. No. of Tables: 0. No. of References: 23.

A Late Mesolithic kill site of aurochs at Jardinga, Netherlands

A site beside the river Tjonger near Jardinga in the northern Netherlands is shown to be a rare Late Mesolithic kill and primary butchering site. Finds consist mainly of bones from aurochs and red deer, with a few flint artefacts. Radiocarbon evidence shows that there must have been two phases of use: the first around 5400 cal BC; the second, main phase around 5250–5050 cal BC.

Book reviews - Terry O'Connor a Naomi Sykes (ed.). Extinctions a invasions: a social history of British fauna . ix+245 pages, 43 illustrations, 15 tables. 2010. Oxford: Windgather Press; 978-1-905119-31-8 paperback £28.

The seemingly everlasting excavations at Mucking in Essex are equally significant, and based primarily upon the unswerving dedication of Margaret Jones, who drove the work forward just in advance of gravel quarrying, and uncovered a multi-period palimpsest of settlements, burials, field systems, enclosures and much more, with over 5000 volunteer excavators of many nationalities involved for short or long periods of work. Some, not all, would subscribe to a view expressed in 2001 “To have dug with Margaret Jones at Mucking remains a badge of honour”, and the work done was truly historic, rewarding, instructive and inspiring. We who sat in our comfortable rooms and institutional libraries might criticise and mutter about the methodology and research frameworks at Mucking but few of us, myself included, who visited came away without feeling the emotion generated by it all.