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Our research tells us a lot about the animals who lived in Great Torrington during the Medieval period.
Our research tells us a lot about the animals who lived in Great Torrington during the Medieval period.
Wild Animals
Wild Animals
Hunting: fox, deer, rabbit, pheasant
Fishing: hake, whiting
Collecting: oysters, cockles, whelk
Farm Animals & Pets
Farm Animals & Pets
Cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, cats, dogs and rodents (mice and rats)
Animal Uses
Animal Uses
Food: meat, dairy, eggs, poultry, fish, game
Textiles & Tanning: wool, brains
Work & military animals: cattle, horses, dogs
Bioarchaeology
Bioarchaeology
We can see evidence of butchery marks and gnawing on bones by other animals.
We use forensic techniques to identify age and species.
Analysis highlights
Analysis highlights
Sheep is the most represented animal group .
Cattle and large mammal remains are the second-most represented.
Pig skeletal remains are the least represented of the domesticated mammals.
Fish remains were only found within one of the four trenches in the first major excavation, and these were almost all cranial bones.
It makes sense that an inland town would not have as much fish as a coastal area, but it's interesting to see how sheep are favoured over pigs.
Did you know? Peach seeds (stones) often get sorted into the animal bone boxes for a very simple reason - they look really like bones when they are excavated!
The Big Dig of 2023 excavated the following animal bones:
Trench 1 = 40% of remains. 276 bones, 11 marine shells, 1 seed (peach)
Trench 2 = 18% of remains. 118 bones, 13 marine shells
Trench 3 = 0.6% of remains. 3 bones, 2 seeds (peach and grain)
Trench 4 = 42% of remains. 291 bones, 20 marine shells
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