Food, status and complexity in Saxon and Scandinavian England : an archaeozoological approach
The period between the decline of Roman influence and the Norman Conquest in England (AD 450-1066) is recognised as a time of great change, from a largely subsistence-based economy to one more urban-oriented with growing political and social complexity. Little is understood of the human-animal interactions that existed in Saxon and Scandinavian England, and this thesis will use archaeozoological data with the aim of furthering the knowledge of social, political and economic hierarchies, cultural differences and debates regarding the nature of the urban context through the presence and spatial organisation of status, craft production and trade. To this end, both primary and secondary data were recorded from animal bone assemblages from English Saxon sites, and the subsequent relative species quantities, mortality profiles, carcass part representation, butchery and metrical data analysed. The resultant trends have illustrated the increasing social complexity and widening gap between the farming and elite classes, and evidence for cultural distinctions between the Danelaw and Saxon areas of England in the late Saxon phase. Combined with this is the demonstration of evolving economic pathways using the provisioning
Holmes, Matilda Anne
Food, status and complexity in Saxon and Scandinavian England : an archaeozoological approach. The period between the decline of Roman influence and the Norman Conquest in England (AD 450-1066) is recognised as a time of great change, from a largely subsistence-based economy to one more urban-oriented with growing political and social complexity. Little is understood of the human-animal interactions that existed in Saxon and Scandinavian England, and this thesis will use archaeozoological data with the aim of furthering the knowledge of social, political and economic hierarchies, cultural differences and debates regarding the nature of the urban context through the presence and spatial organisation of status, craft production and trade. To this end, both primary and secondary data were recorded from animal bone assemblages from English Saxon sites, and the subsequent relative species quantities, mortality profiles, carcass part representation, butchery and metrical data analysed. The resultant trends have illustrated the increasing social complexity and widening gap between the farming and elite classes, and evidence for cultural distinctions between the Danelaw and Saxon areas of England in the late Saxon phase. Combined with this is the demonstration of evolving economic pathways using the provisioning
food status complexity saxon scandinavian england archaeozoological approach period decline roman influence norman_conquest england recognise time great change largely subsistence based_economy urban oriented grow political_social complexity little_understood human_animal interaction exist saxon scandinavian england use archaeozoological data aim further knowledge social_political_economic hierarchy cultural_difference debate_regard nature urban_context presence spatial_organisation status craft_production trade end primary_secondary data record animal_bone assemblages english saxon site subsequent relative specie quantity mortality_profile carcass part representation butchery metrical data_analyse resultant trend illustrate increase social_complexity widen gap farm elite class evidence cultural distinction saxon area england late_saxon phase combined demonstration evolve economic pathway use provision