INVESTIGATION OF THE WHITESHEET DOWN ENVIRONS 1989-90 167 
Economy 
Animal bones, 
by 7M. Maltby 
All bone fragments from manual recovery were 
recorded in detail and unidentified fragments were 
recorded where feasible into size categories (large 
mammal; sheep-sized mammal; rodent, etc.). 
Details of butchery, tooth eruption, pathology and 
measurements were all recorded and are retained in 
the archive. Identified fragments from sieved 
samples were also recorded in full, whereas 
unidentified fragments were not placed in size 
categories. 
The causewayed enclosure ditch fills 
A total of 226 well-preserved fragments of animal 
bone was recovered. Gnawing damage is slight and 
surface erosion on the bones was uncommon, 
suggesting that much of the material was buried 
soon after disposal. Of the bones 132 came from the 
basal fill of the ditch (1354; Table 5a). These 
include 49 bones of an immature sheep of between 
six and ten months old. There is no evidence of 
butchery and it is assumed that this skeleton was 
dumped in an articulated state. Most of the skeleton 
was recovered except the carpals, tarsals and 
phalanges. The absence of these small bones may 
result from recovery bias or poor preservation and 
it is possible that the sheep was originally dumped 
as a complete carcass. 
Thirty-four cattle bones, mostly from the lower 
limbs and including 20 phalanges, were found in 
the basal ditch fill. Several of the phalanges have 
unfused proximal epiphyses and probably belong to 
cattle under 18 months old (Silver 1969). Others are 
fused and belong to at least one older animal. Some 
appear to be from the same skeleton and it is 
conceivable that two metatarsals, a metacarpal 
(from an immature animal) and two tarsals 
belonged to another individual. 
Most of the 18 pig bones appear to have been 
deposited together and it is feasible that the bones 
belonged mainly to one or two animals. Two fairly 
substantial sections of red deer antler were also 
recovered from the basal fill, perhaps from picks 
used to dig the ditch. 
Very little of the material from the secondary 
fills could be identified, but includes parts of a skull 
with the pedicle of an unshed antler and the tip of 
an antler of red deer. One context (1336) produced 
16 bones representing both short-tailed (Microtus 
agrestis) and bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) 
which may have been trapped in the ditch during a 
period when it lay open. Few bones were recovered 
from the tertiary fills, amongst these a red deer 
antler tine and a cattle tooth are the only remains 
from 1334. 
The recut of the ditch (1331) produced just 
eight fragments of animal bone including three pig 
bones (in 1328) and one cattle and two sheep/goat 
teeth (1320). 
Feature Group 1303 
A total of 366 fragments was recovered from 
manual excavation, of which 192 were identified 
(Table 5b). Bones sieved from artefact samples 
contributed a further 456 fragments, of which 61 
were identified. The faunal assemblage in all 
contexts is dominated by pig bones with cattle and 
sheep/goat fragments identified only in small 
numbers. The earlier lower fills (1346, 1342) of pit 
1303 produced similar assemblages with pig 
providing 85% of the identified fragments. All parts 
of the body are represented and there is no apparent 
bias towards any particular areas of the carcase. A 
few bones form a number of small associated 
groups, mostly of feet. 
Although most of the pig bones in these fills 
could have belonged to two immature animals, 
more individuals than this are represented. At least 
two immature and one adult pig are represented by 
mandibles. Five very porous bones probably belong 
to foetal (or possibly neonatal) skeletons. Nine pig 
bones bear evidence for butchery and a number of 
the bones are broken, indicating that processing of 
at least some of the carcases had taken place. 
Generally cattle bones were poorly represented 
but at least three cattle are represented by humeri, 
all with butchery marks (from 1342 and 1346); 39 
unidentified large mammal fragments probably 
also belong to cattle. The small number of 
ovicaprid bones include the distal end of a sheep 
metatarsal that has been made into a tool. Sieving 
produced no further species excepting one rodent 
femur. 
Only 45 fragments were found in re-cut 1368 
from manual retrieval (Table 5b). Of these, 31 are 
pig, including fragments of three thoracic vertebrae 
and three ribs probably from the same animal. Most 
of the remaining fragments are from the head and 
feet. From sieving, a further 56 pig bones were 
recovered with small loose teeth, metapodials and 
phalanges well represented. 42% of the pig sample 
from manual retrieval consists of loose teeth and 
