Butchery and intra-site spatial analysis of animal bone : a case study from Danebury Hillfort, Hampshire, England
This thesis explores the questions of status divisions, specialised activity and task areas, meat consumption, ritual and structured deposition, and addresses a main theme: what was the status of hillforts in the Iron Age. The basis of the study was to analyse the potential of butchery and intra-site spatial patterning of animal bone to aid interpretation of specialisation and status distinctions on archaeological sites. The Iron Age hillfort at Danebury was chosen as a case study for this project. Danebury has a large sample size, continuous area of excavation and full butchery and location records. Butchery analysis defined which bones were found in which butchery 'units', and their positions could then be plotted using a Geographic Information System. Some individual deposits were also examined for temporal differences in bone elements and associations through manual investigation of several individual pits. Results suggested that despite the apparently specialised nature of butchery techniques, activities could not be directly inferred from deposits, and that some time or distance had elapsed between butchery, consumption and deposition. However, the most likely scenario to explain the complex deposition
Knight, Stephanie Claire
Butchery and intra-site spatial analysis of animal bone : a case study from Danebury Hillfort, Hampshire, England. This thesis explores the questions of status divisions, specialised activity and task areas, meat consumption, ritual and structured deposition, and addresses a main theme: what was the status of hillforts in the Iron Age. The basis of the study was to analyse the potential of butchery and intra-site spatial patterning of animal bone to aid interpretation of specialisation and status distinctions on archaeological sites. The Iron Age hillfort at Danebury was chosen as a case study for this project. Danebury has a large sample size, continuous area of excavation and full butchery and location records. Butchery analysis defined which bones were found in which butchery 'units', and their positions could then be plotted using a Geographic Information System. Some individual deposits were also examined for temporal differences in bone elements and associations through manual investigation of several individual pits. Results suggested that despite the apparently specialised nature of butchery techniques, activities could not be directly inferred from deposits, and that some time or distance had elapsed between butchery, consumption and deposition. However, the most likely scenario to explain the complex deposition
butchery intra_site spatial_analysis animal_bone case_study hillfort hampshire england explores question status division specialise activity task area meat consumption ritual structured_deposition address main_theme status hillforts iron_age basis study analyse potential butchery intra_site spatial patterning animal_bone aid interpretation specialisation status distinction archaeological_site iron_age hillfort chosen case_study project large_sample size continuous area excavation full butchery location record butchery analysis define bone find butchery units position could plot use geographic information system individual deposit also_examine temporal difference bone element association manual investigation several individual pit suggest despite apparently specialise nature butchery technique activity could directly infer deposit time distance butchery consumption deposition however likely scenario explain complex deposition