Environmental Sampling

Date 2008

Event ID 578433

Category Recording

Type Environmental Sampling

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/578433

HY 504 522 Fish remains were found in and around the Neolithic chambered tomb (ORK 21) and were recovered

by hand collection and coarse/fine sieving. Two discrete types of deposit were found, one derived from deliberate, anthropogenic fishing and other from otter spraint; both were found throughout the tomb with little evidence of spatial or chronological patterning.

Analysis has shown that people were fishing for cod family fish, including large cod and ling, as well as inshore,

coastal species like wrasse. Comparisons with contemporary assemblages suggest that this was typical of the period. The presence of large ling suggests deep-water fishing from boats at some distance from the shore. Small quantities of pierced vertebrae from ling and cod-family fish were found throughout the tomb and may have been worn as beads. Parallels from other Neolithic Orcadian sites are discussed in the full report, as are their potential symbolic meanings. A single cod vertebra had been butchered with a stone tool and is likely to represent the earliest evidence for fish butchery and processing in the Neolithic.

The fish remains may have been introduced to the tomb as grave goods, as feasting while interring or visiting the dead, or they may represent food consumed while building the tomb. The presence of otter spraint throughout this and other tombs suggests that otters were contemporary with the use of these tombs, and that they were probably accepted, or at least not discouraged, by humans.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended). Report: excavation report by A Ritchie (intended)

Funder: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Historic Scotland, The Binks Trust and The Robert Kiln Charitable Trust

Jennifer Harland and Rachel Parks (Fishlab, University of York), 2008