EXCAVATIONS IN 1999 ON LAND ADJACENT TO WAYSIDE FARM, DEVIZES 



199 



The incidence of taphonomic modification 

 according to feature type has been investigated for 

 cattle (Table 15). The highest incidence of gnawing 

 (9%) was seen on bones recovered from pits 

 whereas none was observed on those from buried 

 soil. Ditch deposits contained the highest 

 proportion of cattle bones with cut marks, followed 

 by those from buried soils (6%). In contrast, the 

 highest incidence of chopped bone was recovered 

 from pit and midden deposits. Bones displaying 

 both cut and chop marks were most numerous in 

 material from pits. 



METRICAL ANALYSIS 



Measurements are given in archive. Where possible 

 these have been compared with those held on the 

 ABMAP (Animal Bone Metrical Archive Project) 

 at CHEE (Centre for Human Ecology and 

 Environment). With the exception of one 

 metatarsal, all of the cattle measurements fall within 

 the range obtained from contemporary sites. This 

 anomalous measurement is about 10mm smaller 

 than the lowest greatest length (GL) measurement 

 held on ABMAP and indicates that one animal was 

 smaller than those found at many other Romano- 

 British sites. Two measurements (Bd and BT) taken 

 on a sheep humeri were also smaller than the 

 ABMAP measurements. 



The withers height of horse was calculated 

 according to the formulae of Kiesewalter (1888 in 



von den Driesch and Boessnick 1974) for the lateral 

 length of the radius and metacarpal as 1.3 m and 

 1.4m respectively. 



The few dog remains were compared with 

 comparative skeletons in order to gain an indication 

 of size, two partial skulls, a mandible and a matching 

 pair of maxillae are similar in size to a Jack Russell 

 Terrier. In addition, one mandible is about the 

 length of a greyhound but more robust. 



DISCUSSION 



Cattle clearly dominate the assemblage and appear 

 to have been kept in far greater numbers than the 

 other domestic species. However, it has been shown 

 that the bones of large mammals are more prone to 

 fragmentation than those of smaller mammals, 

 therefore sheep/goat and pig may have made up a 

 greater proportion of the livestock than is suggested 

 by NISP alone. The bones of smaller mammals are 

 also more likely to be destroyed by density mediated 

 attrition and canid gnawing than are larger more 

 robust bones, hence it is possible, as the calculation 

 of MNI suggests, that sheep/goat and pig were not 

 quite such a minor component of the economy. 



Mandibles and loose teeth dominate the 

 remains of all species suggesting that the assemblage 

 consists of primary butchery waste. However teeth 

 are numerous in the skeleton and being composed 

 of dentine and enamel are more likely to survive in 

 the archaeologically record than bone. Mandibles 



Table 14: Incidence of taphonomy (NISP & %) 





Gnawed 





Butchered 









B 







% 



Cut 



Chop 



Cut/chop 



% 





Cattle 



59 



6 



60 



62 



27 



14 





Sheep/goat 



10 



11 



1 



1 





2 



1 



Pig 



1 



4 



2 







2 





Horse 



2 



2 



6 





2 



8 





Red deer 









1 









Lge. mammal 



11 



1 



22 



27 



3 



4 



4 



Med. mammal 







1 







4 



1 



Burnt 



<1 



Total 



83 



92 



91 



31 



22 



Table 15: Cattle: incidence of taphonomy according to feature type (NISP and %) 





Gnawed 

 n 



% 



Cut 

 n 



% 



Chopped 

 n 



% 



Cut & chopped 

 n % 



/lidden 

 it 



)itch 

 uried soil 



41 

 14 

 4 



5 

 9 

 6 



43 

 6 

 7 

 3 



5 

 4 

 10 

 6 



48 

 11 

 1 



1 



6 



7 

 1 

 2 



15 2 

 9 6 

 2 3 



Total 



59 



59 



61 



26 



