Wild Cattle: Red Deer in the Religious Texts, Iconography, and Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland

Soderberg, John

doi:10.1007/s10761-004-1135-0

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…These assemblages are similar to Lough Yoan north crannog with a dominance of cattle, followed by sheep and possibly pig, with small amounts of horse and red deer and again possibly goat 25 . The occurrence of horse DNA at Lough Yoan may also reflect its consumption (as at Sroove), whilst the occurrence of red deer is thought-provoking as this was a prestige food closely associated with cattle in the early medieval mind 26 . The bile acid data supports the presence of these domesticates as live animals along with faecal material from human sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements

Brown

Hardenbroek

Fonville

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Direct evidence of ancient human occupation is typically established through archaeological excavation. Excavations are costly and destructive, and practically impossible in some lake and wetland environments. We present here an alternative approach, providing direct evidence from lake sediments using DNA metabarcoding, steroid lipid biomarkers (bile acids) and from traditional environmental analyses. Applied to an early Medieval Celtic settlement in Ireland (a crannog) this approach provides a site chronology and direct evidence of human occupation, crops, animal farming and on-site slaughtering. This is the first independently-dated, continuous molecular archive of human activity from an archeological site, demonstrating a link between animal husbandry, food resources, island use. These sites are under threat but are impossible to preserve in-situ so this approach can be used, with or without excavation, to produce a robust and full site chronology and provide direct evidence of occupation, the use of plants and animals, and activities such as butchery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements

Brown

Hardenbroek

Fonville

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…In addition to Andone, the benefits of a biographical approach have already been reaped within individual specialist fields; for example, the study of animal remains at Launceston Castle (Albarella & Davis, 1996) has demonstrated how changes in the culling and consumption of animals can be linked to broader social changes, while the importance of deer and the social discourse associated with them has been the subject of multiple studies (e.g. Soderberg, 2004;Sykes, 2005Sykes, , 2007Thomas, 2007). Ceramics can also provide, amongst other things, insights into social status and site experience (Jervis, 2014: 103) and the way in which occupation practices altered through time, as at Sandal (Moorhouse, 1986).…”

Section: Towards a Biographical Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Biography and Memory: Sandal Castle and the English Civil War

Askew

2016

Eur. j. archaeol.

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The post-medieval castle is often neglected in English archaeology, with most analyses focusing on whether the castle was built for status or defence, a debate which has become known as ‘the Battle for Bodiam’. However, in the English Civil War between 1642 and 1651, many castles were fortified either for King Charles I or his rebellious Parliament. Although the fortification of castles during this period is often attributed to acts of desperation and a lack of more suitable defences, an examination of the Royalist occupation of Sandal Castle in West Yorkshire demonstrates how this view is simplistic. The decision to fortify Sandal can be directly linked to the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, when Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, the father of King Edward IV and Richard III, was killed outside its walls. This episode heavily influenced subsequent events, culminating in the occupation of the castle at the outbreak of the English Civil War. The importance of the past during this later conflict is reinforced by the faunal and artefactual assemblages, and the locations in which they were found (and consumed). The complexity of the social discourse at Sandal challenges current approaches in castle studies and highlights the need for a biographical approach which sees the interpretation and interaction of the castle through time and space as far more important than the motivations behind its initial construction. Such a way of proceeding complements existing methodologies but also relies on material culture and history to create a subtler interpretation of these complex buildings.

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“…And the zooarchaeology of later Europe, medieval, and more recent historical periods also is a topic of considerable study. Topics include specific case studies of religious orders and communities, exotic animal use, hunting, butchering, diet, and nutrition (Albarella and Thomas 2002;Ayres et al 2003;Baxter and Hamilton-Dyer 2003;Crader 2003;Hoffmann 2001;Lentacker and Ervynck 1999;Polet and Katzenberg 2003;Serjeantson 2001;Soderberg 2004;Thomas 2005Thomas , 2007Woolgar et al 2006).…”

Section: Political Economic Use Of Animals In Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Zooarchaeology in Complex Societies: Political Economy, Status, and Ideology

deFrance

2009

J Archaeol Res

154

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The zooarchaeology of complex societies provides insights into the interrelated social and economic relationships that people and animals created. I present a synthesis of zooarchaeological research published since the early 1990s that addresses political economy, status distinctions, and the ideological and ritual roles of animals in complex cultures. I address current approaches and applications as well as theoretical shifts in zooarchaeological practice. Research indicates there is great variability across space and time in how past peoples used animals to generate economic surplus, to establish status differentiation within societies, and to create symbolic meaning through sacrifices, offerings, and in feasts. The study of human/animal interactions in complex societies can contribute to fundamental questions of broad relevance regarding political and social life.

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Wild Cattle: Red Deer in the Religious Texts, Iconography, and Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland

Cited by 11 publications

References 12 publications

Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements

Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements

Biography and Memory: Sandal Castle and the English Civil War

Zooarchaeology in Complex Societies: Political Economy, Status, and Ideology

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