Description

Summary: 1 bag of animal bone from Blackberry Field, Potterne, a late bronze/ early iron age settlement excavated by Lawson et al 1983-85.

Research results

A group of faunal remains excavated from the Late Bronze Age layers of the large midden at Potterne by Lawson et al., 1983-85. Middens are a phenomena particularly associated with the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in central southern England, and are thought to represent build ups of refuse from large scale feasting events held repeatedly over a long period of time; the midden at Potterne covers 3.5ha and is in excess of 1m deep in places. Lawson et al.'s excavations produced in excess of 100,000 pieces of animal bone, and yet covered only c. 1% of the midden.

All of the Animal Bone from East Chisenbury, and a sample of that from Potterne, were examined by Madgwick (2014) as part of a study assessing the link between abrasion of animal bone and evidence of trampling, and whether one can be used as a proxy for the other, as the latter does not survive well. The study found robust, statistically significant positive correletions at five of the seven sites examined, and concluded that although the link between the two would need to be assessed on a site-by-site basis, abrasion can provide compelling evidence for ungulate trampling and other, similar processes.

All of the animal bone from East Chisenbury, and a sample of those from the similar midden site at Potterne were examined by Madgwick and Mulville (2012) as part of a study investigating sub-aerial weathering of animal bone on British Arcaheological sites. Using statistical techniques they identified that the environment and skeletal element were the most significant factors, with depositional context only rarely making a significant difference - mainly in shallow fills.

Bones from this group were examined as part of Madgwick's (2016) study of the taphonomy of midden deposits. The study looked at a number of sites, including both Potterne and East Chisenbury, and examined the animal remains looking for evidence of weathering, gnawing, trampling and the freshness of fractures. The animal bones from the Wiltshire sites show relatively fresh fractures and little evidence of exposure, suggesting that the bones were protected by subsequent deposits, and that the middens were built up rapidly, linked to large scale feasting events. Those layers that do show signs of exposure probably represent hiatuses between events.