PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT AT LATTON LANDS 129 
(similar for all context types): thus, the 
unidentified fragments were generally the smaller 
ones, often the result of post-depositional breakage. 
The overall condition of the collection is not 
good, with low identification rates and mediocre 
surface preservation. Evidence of breakage, 
butchery, gnawing, and other surface alteration has 
thus been lost. Most bones were fragmentary, so 
very few measurements were possible. It is also 
likely that more fragile elements and smaller/ 
younger animals are under-represented, so species 
proportions, skeletal representation and age data 
will be affected. 
Species present and species proportions 
Species present were domestic cattle, sheep (no 
positive goat was found), pig, horse, dog and (wild) 
Table 5. Fragment condition by context type 
NIF in Condition* Average 
context type condition 
7 
Fragment numbers 
Context type Total NIF 
red deer. Cattle were overwhelmingly dominant in 
all context types, although the proportion was 
noticeably lower in ditches (Table 7). However, 
there were only 38 identified bones from ditches, 
which is insufficient to make firm conclusions. 
Nevertheless, poorer preservation in ditches, as 
demonstrated above, would tend to reduce the ratio 
of sheep to cattle, ie. operate in the opposite 
Table 4. Percentage of identified fragments by context type 
Fragment numbers _| Fragment weights 
Total % Total % 
No. of 
contexts 
2342 
17658 
Table 8. Species proportions by NIF (number of identified fragments), 
WIF (weight of identified fragments) and MNI (minimum number of individuals) 
