The Discovery Programme

Bones of ancient animals (including birds and fish), both wild and domesticated, are among the more common finds from archaeological sites.  Despite the dangers inherent in what might be described as ‘retrieval bias’ – i.e. the particular conservation and excavating issues connected with specific sites - the study of such bones can provide us with a great deal of information, for example:

• they can be used for radiocarbon dating purposes,
• they can give an indication of the range of wild fauna and hunting practices in a particular region at a particular time,
• they can indicate when a particular species was first introduced into the relatively limited range of animals known from Ireland,
• the ages at which domesticated animals were slaughtered can tell us about animal husbandry and farming practices such as wool production,
• butchering marks can tell us about food production and consumption practices.

 Archaeologists have always noted the finds of ancient animal, bird and fish bones (and marine mollusk shells) and there were some early pioneering studies in Ireland from the mid-nineteenth century onward, but it has only been since the late twentieth century that systematic studies have given rise to this particular niche area of archaeology.

This type of study is still in its infancy in Ireland and in some cases it is difficult to distinguish the precise species represented by the bones in question - e.g. sheep or goats, ducks or geese.  However, as excavations produce more collections of bones for scientific examination our knowledge will continue to be enhanced and DNA studies promise to add to the battery of analytic techniques now available.