Environmental remains from a pit within the tower and a stone-lined channel of post-medieval date were assessed. Disposal of a variety of food remains in the pit was demonstrated by the recovery of oyster shell, charred plant remains, large mammal, small mammal, bird and fish bone. Abundant land snails, frog/toad and small mammal bone indicate invasion of fauna from the immediate external surroundings. The survival of many small, delicate items indicates good preservation of environmental remains on the site, while the range recovered indicates the potential for providing detailed dietary information.
The environmental remains assessed for this project have been recovered from Dartington Hall in 1995 during a fourth season of excavations. The following is taken from an interim report (Currie 1995). Dartington Hall stands on high ground above the River Dart, to the north of Totnes, in the county of Devon (NGR SX 798 628) and has been described by Pevsner as the most spectacular medieval mansion of Devon (Pevsner 1952). Additions to the building have been made by the Champernowne family during the 16th century, in Georgian times and in the 19th century, whilst the gardens were laid out in their present form by the Elmhirst family in 1925.
Excavations have been undertaken in the form of an annual training excavation as an aid to future management of the gardens, particularly as it is not possible to determine what form the earlier gardens took, and whether the Elmhirst's had utilised existing garden features.
The samples selected for assessment of environmental remains are of post-medieval date and come from a pit (215) within a stone building called the "tower" and a stone channel (213) leading to the outside.
The aims of the assessment were to determine the state of preservation of environmental remains within the selected deposits, the basic categories of remains present, and their significance. The purpose of this was to establish their potential for further analysis.
Hand-collected animal bone was identified where possible by comparison with modern reference specimens housed at the County Archaeological Service and using identification manuals (Scmid 1972; Hillson 1992).
The samples were processed by flotation followed by wet-sieving using a Siraf tank. The flot was collected on a 500um sieve and the residue retained on a 1mm mesh. This allows for the recovery of items such as small animal bones, molluscs and seeds. The residues were fully sorted by eye and the abundance of each category of environmental remains estimated. The flots were fully sorted using a low-power EMT light microscope and remains identified using modern reference specimens housed at the County Archaeological Service. Results of the analysis are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.
Hand-collected animal bone
A total of 262g of animal bone was collected from contexts 213 and 215 associated with the tower. These remains were well preserved, in that they included small delicate bones of bird, small mammal, fish and amphibian in association with large mammal bone. However, the latter was largely found in small fragments. Identification of only a selection of the smaller bone was attempted for assessment purposes, although the presence of all major categories was noted.
Large mammal bone included the common domesticate species cow, sheep or goat, and pig, while one bone was of deer or sheep/goat size. Butchery marks were noted on two fragments and several were from juvenile animals. Bird, small mammal and fish bones were also numerous. Of these, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was readily identifiable, and a number of the bird bones are likely to be chicken (Gallus gallus). Some of these remains may derive from animals which have entered the tower and channel from the immediate surroundings (particularly the frog/toad and the smallest small mammal remains). However, large domesticated mammal, fish bone and the larger bird bone (probably chicken) indicate an element of food debris.
Although the rabbit remains may also represent food waste, it is also possible that they derive from animals trapped in the tower or channel.
Hand-collected molluscs
A large quantity of oyster shell was collected from the pit (215), and a large number of land snails from both the pit and the walled channel (213). The oyster shell in association with some of the animal bone demonstrates the disposal of food refuse, whereas the land snails are likely to derive from the immediate external surroundings, the channel probably providing an opening to invasion by the local fauna.
Remains from wet-sieved samples
A moderate quantity of bird, small mammal (some of which included rabbit bone), fish and amphibian bone in association with abundant land snails was recovered from both contexts, as above. These represent a similar range of remains to those collected by hand although many smaller species of land snail have been recovered. In addition, occasional charred plant remains were noted which include one grass grain and a seed of cleavers (Galium aparine). The latter are usually the result of burning cereal crop waste as fuel for fires, or accidental charring during crop processing.
A range of environmental remains, including small delicate bone fragments have survived in good condition in both contexts. The recovery of large domestic animal, fish, rabbit and possible chicken bone, in addition to an abundance of oyster shell and a small quantity of charred cereal crop debris indicate the disposal of domestic food waste in both features. Further detailed analysis may reveal whether additional domesticated or wild edible species are present amongst the bird, small mammal and fish bones. Data of this nature (particularly if accumulated from several areas of the site) can be used for determining aspects of the diet, such as the range of food products consumed. Assuming good preservation of remains elsewhere on the site, the potential for providing detailed dietary information is good.
The stone lined channel appears to have acted as a route for invasion by wild fauna from the immediate external surroundings, as a number of frog or toad, small mammal and land snail remains have been recovered.
It is possible that the stone lined channel was intended to drain liquid waste such as cess to the outside of the building. However, this is not apparent from these samples, as no evidence of phosphate concretions or mineralised food remains, commonly associated with such waste, have been recovered.
The assessment has shown good preservation of a range of environmental remains which indicate the disposal of domestic waste and invasion of wild fauna from the surrounding gardens. The survival of a variety of food waste which includes bones of common domesticated mammals, molluscs, possibly with domesticated fowl and wild game (rabbit) is of significance. Preservation of some of these remains is rare on account of their fragility, and commonly, the lack of appropriate environmental conditions for their survival. Although small in quantity, this may indicate a varied diet which included agricultural produce and wild food, either collected locally or imported.
The following recommendations can be made:
The archive consists of:
I would like to thank Chris Currie for his kind assistance in the successful conclusion of this project, and to Simon Woodiwiss for editing this report.
Currie, C, 1995 Excavations in the gardens of Dartington Hall, Devon; third interim report, 1995, unpublished typescript
Hillson, S, 1992 Mammal bones and teeth: an introductory guide to methods of identification, Institute of Archaeology, University College London
Pevsner, N, 1952 The buildings of England: South Devon, Harmondsworth
Schmid, E, 1972 Atlas of animal bones, Amsterdam