Scales of analysis: evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr

Harry Kenneth Robson; Aimee Patrice Little; Andrew K. G. Jones; Simon Brockley; Ian Candy; Ian Matthews; Adrian Palmer; Danielle C. Schreve; Emma Tong; Diederik Pomstra; Lucie Fletcher; Niklas Benedict Marius Johannes Hausmann; Barry Taylor; Chantal Conneller; Nicola Milner

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.02.009

Scales of analysis: evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr

Harry Kenneth Robson, Aimee Patrice Little, Andrew K. G. Jones, Simon Brockley, Ian Candy, Ian Matthews, Adrian Palmer, Danielle C. Schreve, Emma Tong, Diederik Pomstra, Lucie Fletcher, Niklas Benedict Marius Johannes Hausmann, Barry Taylor, Chantal Conneller, Nicola Milner

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This contribution directly relates to the paper published by Wheeler in 1978 entitled ‘Why were there no fish re- mains at Star Carr?’. Star Carr is arguably the richest, most studied and re-interpreted Mesolithic site in Europe but the lack of fish remains has continued to vex scholars. Judging from other materials, the preservation conditions at the site in the late 1940s/early 1950s should have been good enough to permit the survival of fish remains, and particularly dentaries of the northern pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) as found on other European sites of this age. The lack of evidence has therefore been attributed to a paucity of fish in the lake. However, new research has provided multiple lines of evidence, which not only demonstrate the presence of fish, but also provide evidence for the species present, data on how and where fish were being processed on site, and interpretations for the fishing methods that might have been used. This study demonstrates that an integrated approach using a range of methods at landscape, site and microscopic scales of analysis can elucidate such questions. In addition, it demonstrates that in future studies, even in cases where physical remains are lacking, forensic techniques hold significant potential.

Original language	English
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science Reports
Volume	17
Early online date	17 Feb 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.02.009
Publication status	Published - 6 Mar 2018

Bibliographical note

© 2016, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. his is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.02.009

Robson et al._revised manuscript
© 2016, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. his is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details
Accepted author manuscript, 1.1 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Robson, H. K., Little, A. P., Jones, A. K. G., Brockley, S., Candy, I., Matthews, I., Palmer, A., Schreve, D. C., Tong, E., Pomstra, D., Fletcher, L., Hausmann, N. B. M. J., Taylor, B., Conneller, C., & Milner, N. (2018). Scales of analysis: evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.02.009

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title = "Scales of analysis: evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr",

abstract = "This contribution directly relates to the paper published by Wheeler in 1978 entitled {\textquoteleft}Why were there no fish re- mains at Star Carr?{\textquoteright}. Star Carr is arguably the richest, most studied and re-interpreted Mesolithic site in Europe but the lack of fish remains has continued to vex scholars. Judging from other materials, the preservation conditions at the site in the late 1940s/early 1950s should have been good enough to permit the survival of fish remains, and particularly dentaries of the northern pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) as found on other European sites of this age. The lack of evidence has therefore been attributed to a paucity of fish in the lake. However, new research has provided multiple lines of evidence, which not only demonstrate the presence of fish, but also provide evidence for the species present, data on how and where fish were being processed on site, and interpretations for the fishing methods that might have been used. This study demonstrates that an integrated approach using a range of methods at landscape, site and microscopic scales of analysis can elucidate such questions. In addition, it demonstrates that in future studies, even in cases where physical remains are lacking, forensic techniques hold significant potential.",

author = "Robson, {Harry Kenneth} and Little, {Aimee Patrice} and Jones, {Andrew K. G.} and Simon Brockley and Ian Candy and Ian Matthews and Adrian Palmer and Schreve, {Danielle C.} and Emma Tong and Diederik Pomstra and Lucie Fletcher and Hausmann, {Niklas Benedict Marius Johannes} and Barry Taylor and Chantal Conneller and Nicola Milner",

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AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Little, Aimee Patrice

AU - Jones, Andrew K. G.

AU - Brockley, Simon

AU - Candy, Ian

AU - Matthews, Ian

AU - Palmer, Adrian

AU - Schreve, Danielle C.

AU - Tong, Emma

AU - Pomstra, Diederik

AU - Fletcher, Lucie

AU - Hausmann, Niklas Benedict Marius Johannes

AU - Taylor, Barry

AU - Conneller, Chantal

AU - Milner, Nicola

N1 - © 2016, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. his is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

PY - 2018/3/6

Y1 - 2018/3/6

N2 - This contribution directly relates to the paper published by Wheeler in 1978 entitled ‘Why were there no fish re- mains at Star Carr?’. Star Carr is arguably the richest, most studied and re-interpreted Mesolithic site in Europe but the lack of fish remains has continued to vex scholars. Judging from other materials, the preservation conditions at the site in the late 1940s/early 1950s should have been good enough to permit the survival of fish remains, and particularly dentaries of the northern pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) as found on other European sites of this age. The lack of evidence has therefore been attributed to a paucity of fish in the lake. However, new research has provided multiple lines of evidence, which not only demonstrate the presence of fish, but also provide evidence for the species present, data on how and where fish were being processed on site, and interpretations for the fishing methods that might have been used. This study demonstrates that an integrated approach using a range of methods at landscape, site and microscopic scales of analysis can elucidate such questions. In addition, it demonstrates that in future studies, even in cases where physical remains are lacking, forensic techniques hold significant potential.

AB - This contribution directly relates to the paper published by Wheeler in 1978 entitled ‘Why were there no fish re- mains at Star Carr?’. Star Carr is arguably the richest, most studied and re-interpreted Mesolithic site in Europe but the lack of fish remains has continued to vex scholars. Judging from other materials, the preservation conditions at the site in the late 1940s/early 1950s should have been good enough to permit the survival of fish remains, and particularly dentaries of the northern pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) as found on other European sites of this age. The lack of evidence has therefore been attributed to a paucity of fish in the lake. However, new research has provided multiple lines of evidence, which not only demonstrate the presence of fish, but also provide evidence for the species present, data on how and where fish were being processed on site, and interpretations for the fishing methods that might have been used. This study demonstrates that an integrated approach using a range of methods at landscape, site and microscopic scales of analysis can elucidate such questions. In addition, it demonstrates that in future studies, even in cases where physical remains are lacking, forensic techniques hold significant potential.

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