Abstract: |
English Heritage’s Central Archaeology Service excavated two Bronze Age barrows at Longstone Edge (SK 2088 7841) in 1996. The excavations and post-excavation analyses are reported elsewhere (Andrews, undated; Last et al, undated; Smith, undated). This assessment was requested in order to evaluate the significance of amphibian and reptile remains. Andrews (undated) recorded the presence of herpetofaunal remains in many contexts, and observed that they were fairly numerous in some. It is rare for amphibian and reptile remains from archaeological excavations to be investigated in any detail, probably owing to a lack of comparative material, expertise and perceived value. Herpetofaunal remains are useful as palaeo-environmental and biostratigraphic indicators in Quaternary science (e.g. Gleed-Owen, 1999), but also in archaeological investigations (Gleed-Owen, 2003; Pigière et al, in press). |