128 THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE. 
marked absence of A. leucostoma. This may be related 
to the shallower profile of ditch terminus 388 
compared with ditch terminus 366. The terrestrial 
assemblage was similar to ditch terminus 366. The 
molluscs within fill (373)/<15> consisted entirely of 
intermediate species. 
The Animal Bone 
by Fulie Hamilton 
Introduction 
A total of 1776 (c. 28 kg) fragments of bone was 
recovered by hand from 30 middle Bronze Age 
contexts. Surface condition varied from feature to 
feature and was generally poorest in ditches, best in 
the waterhole. The overall average score was 
around 3 (extensive surface damage, 35-65% of 
surface obscure). Poor preservation significantly 
affected identification and other information 
obtainable, and it was not possible to draw strong 
conclusions on species proportions, management 
regimes, or taphonomy. About 30% by number 
(80% by weight) of fragments were identified. 
Most of the 535 (20256g) identified fragments 
were from cattle, with sheep/goat (no positive goat), 
pig, dog, horse and red deer also present. Three 
fragments of burnt bone were unidentifiable and 
may have been human or animal. The animal bone 
seems representative of a mixed farming economy 
involving the common domestic animals, probably 
with an emphasis on cattle. There is little evidence 
for extensive use of wild resources. 
The cattle were shorthorned, 110-115 cm 
withers height. There was evidence for processing 
of all parts of the carcase and disposal on site. This 
was also probable for sheep and pig. Pig were 
apparently slaughtered young to provide meat. Red 
deer was represented by both antler and limb 
fragments. 
Methodology 
All the hand-retrieved animal bone was examined, 
identified as far as possible and recorded. Analysis 
focuses on species present and species proportions, 
with some consideration of population and 
taphonomic data as available. 
Bones and teeth were identified using a 
comparative collection and standard references 
such as Schmid (1972) and Hillson (1992). The 
assemblage was recorded on an Excel spreadsheet 
allowing details of context, species, element, side, 
completeness (Dobney and Rielly 1988), age/sex 
data, pathology, measurements, alteration and 
condition to be recorded for each fragment; 
numbers of unidentified fragments and weights per 
context were also recorded. Total fragment 
numbers and, where useful, minimum numbers of 
individuals (based on the commonest element, with 
side taken into account and fusion state for long 
bones), were calculated from these records. Ageing 
of domestic animals followed Silver (1969), Payne 
(1973; 1987), Grant (1982) and Levine (1982), sheep 
and goat bones were distinguished according to 
Boessneck (1969) and cattle horn cores classified 
following Armitage and Clutton-Brock (1976), and 
Armitage (1982). Where no goat was positively 
identified, sheep/goat is referred to as sheep. 
Measurements followed Von Den Driesch (1976). 
Withers heights were estimated according to Von 
Den Driesch and Boessneck (1974). Condition was 
scored using a scale of 1 (bone surface totally 
removed/obscured) to 5 (bone surface in pristine 
condition), as surface condition will affect 
identifiability and the quality of taphonomic 
information. 
Condition, identifiability, and variation by context type 
Altogether 1766 fragments (c.28 kg) of bone were 
analysed. Of these 75% came from the waterhole 
(421), with 16% from pits and 9% from ditches (783 
and 784, Table 4). 
The condition of bone affects its identifiability 
and the amount of additional information which 
can be obtained from the assemblage. Differences 
in preservation between context types may also 
affect comparisons between them, because smaller 
fragments and hence those from smaller and/or 
younger animals, will tend to be disproportionately 
lost. 
Various indicators of condition showed the 
same general pattern. Mean fragment size was 
similar for ditches and pits (11g), but larger for the 
waterhole (17g). Surface condition score was 
generally worst in ditches at around 2, better in pits 
and best in the waterhole at around 3 (Table 5). The 
overall average score was around 3 (extensive 
surface damage, 35-65% of surface obscured). 
The 535 fragments (c. 21 kg) identified to 
species, only account for about 30% of the bone 
assemblage (number of identified fragments, NIF; 
Table 6), reflecting medium to poor preservation. 
The percentage of fragments identified in different 
context types varied in line with fragment size, 
from 23% for pits to 32% for the waterhole. By 
weight, nearly 80% of fragments were identified - 
