94/11 Technical Report: Invertebrates from Roman Ribchester Reports from the Environmental Archaeology Unit, York 94/11, 52 + 142 Pp
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Reports from the EAU, York 94/11 Technical report: Invertebrates from Roman Ribchester Reports from the Environmental Archaeology Unit, York 94/11, 52 + 142 pp. Appendix Insect and other invertebrate remains from the Roman fort at Ribchester, Lancashire (site code RB89): Technical report by Frances Large, Harry Kenward, John Carrott, Colin Nicholson and Pat Kent Summary A selection of 131 sediment samples from deposits associated with the Roman fort at Ribchester, Lancashire, were processed and prioritised by a rapid assessment. Insect and other invertebrate remains from 122 of these samples were recorded quantitatively or (in a few cases) semi- quantitatively. Many cut features (mostly ditches, but some pits) gave modest sized to quite large assemblages of beetles and bugs, the insect groups primarily targeted. A large proportion of the groups included fauna probably or possibly indicating stable manure or some material closely akin to it. This characteristic component often included numerous grain pests, which it is suggested originated in spoiled grain used for feed. There were also some plant feeders possibly introduced in cut vegetation - perhaps hay - and a characteristic suite of decomposers associated with rather foul, but coarse- textured, material such as stable manure. This last material seems to have been very abundant at the site, but there is little evidence that other artificial habitats were exploited on a large scale by insects. In particular, there was remarkably little evidence for human dwellings, presumably because these were kept clean, the sweepings containing few insects and the buildings not developing a large insect population. Grain pests were present from the earliest stage of Roman presence, indicating their importation with supplies for the troops responsible for the construction of the fort. Some of the ditch fills gave insects and other invertebrates indicating the presence of open water, sometimes probably long-lasting. These fills often, but by no means always, seem to have included dumped organic waste, usually, it appears, stable manure. External surfaces appear to have been kept rather clean. Analysis of eggs of parasitic worms gave only very limited evidence for contamination by human faeces. Authors' address: Prepared for: Environmental Archaeology Unit Lancaster University Archeological Unit University of York Storey Institute Heslington Meeting House Lane York YO1 5DD Lancaster LA1 1TH Telephone: (0904) 433843-51 Fax: (0904) 433850 Date: 24.2.94 Reports from the EAU, York 94/11 Technical report: Invertebrates from Roman Ribchester Insect and other invertebrate remains from the Roman fort at Ribchester, Lancashire (site code RB89): Technical report Introduction given by MAFF (1977). Measurements were made of the length and width of the Part of the Roman fort at Ribchester was Trichuris eggs recovered from these excavated in 1989 by Lancaster University subsamples. Archaeology Unit. A substantial body of samples of sediments from the site was collected, representing General Biological Macro-invertebrates Analysis samples in the scheme of Dobney et al. (1992), and subsamples from a large Selection of material for examination number of them were submitted to the EAU for analysis for insect remains and A small-scale assessment was carried out for the eggs of nematodes parasitic in the during the planning stage of the post- guts of vertebrates. The material excavation project. This showed potential represented ditch and pit fills, and a preservation of delicate organic remains variety of surface-deposited layers. such as insect cuticle to be patchily distributed among the samples. The aims of the present study were, broadly, as follows: As any insect remains from well-dated and clearly identified deposits from the site 1. To interpret the deposits context-by- were considered to be of potential context (for which the importance of importance, and in view of the nature of integration of the invertebrate evidence the material and unpredictability of with that from botanical studies must be preservation, it was hoped by HK that it emphasised); would be possible to process almost all of the samples, and then assess the resulting 2. To build a broader view of the ecology insect assemblages so as to determine of the site, and especially of human which should be recorded more fully. activities and living conditions. Before practical work was carried out, however, it was established that the 3. To form part of a wider synthesis of funding for technical assistance on this evidence from insects from Roman project was too small for the approach deposits in Britain and elsewhere. initially planned (funding had been cut pro rata by English Heritage without the possibility of consultation with HK). Although a small amount of additional funding was available from EAU internal Methods budgets, it was clear that only a proportion of the samples could be examined. A The samples were stored in a laboratory in random selection was processed to start the EAU under conditions which were with, but cut fills were subsequently rather too warm and dry for some years targeted preferentially in the light of a before processing; no better storage rapid examination of the material already facilities were available at the time. extracted. Eggs of parasitic nematodes Practical methods Analysis for eggs of parasitic nematodes Test subsamples of 1 kg were employed in was carried out using the 'squash' method each case, following methods of Kenward of Dainton (1992). Selected samples were et al. (1980) as modified by Kenward et al. examined using methods based on those (1986). 2 Reports from the EAU, York 94/11 Technical report: Invertebrates from Roman Ribchester A few of the samples were rejected at the Interpretative methods description stage, being too small (and usually completely dehydrated) or The interpretative methods employed in consisting of clearly unpromising this study were essentially as employed in sediment. work on a variety of sites by Kenward and co-workers (see Kenward 1978, with Processed material was recorded modifications outlined by, for example, selectively after assessment, almost all Kenward 1982; 1988 and Hall and large groups being recorded but a Kenward 1990). In this approach, substantial selection of smaller ones being interpretation rests primarily on a number studied to allow their fauna to be of `main statistics' of whole assemblages characterised. of adult beetles and bugs, and on the recognition of ecologically-related groups Recording methods followed those of species. outlined by Kenward (1992). A fully quantitative scan was carried out for most The main statistics used include: (a) a samples. In these cases remains of adult measure of species-richness (or diversity), beetles and bugs of the groups used for ∀ of Fisher et al. (1943), for the whole calculating main statistics (see below) assemblage and for components of it; and were all counted and identified as far as (b) proportions of `outdoor' species (OB), possible within a reasonable period of aquatics (W), waterside species (D), time. A few groups were recorded by phytophages (plant feeders) (P), species semi-quantitative scanning or rapid associated with dead wood (L), scanning, and some were left only moorland/heathland taxa (M), and assessment-recorded, having been decomposers (species associated with assigned low priority. decomposing matter of some kind). Invertebrates other than adults of the Decomposers are subdivided into (a) beetles and bugs used in calculating `main species primarily associated with statistics' of the assemblages were usually somewhat dry habitats (RD), (b) those recorded semi-quantitatively. This method found mostly in rather, to very, foul employs a five-point scale (Kenward et al. habitats (RF), and (c) a residuum not 1986), abundance for each taxon being easily assignable to one of these. The estimated as 1, 2, 3, `several' or `many'. category 'RT' includes all three of these The last two are converted to 6 and 15 for groups of decomposers. statistical purposes, a conversion discussed by Kenward (1992). The quantification of an `outdoor' component in what are sometimes clearly The manuscript lists and notes made natural or semi-natural assemblages may during insect recording were entered to the not appear entirely logical, but in fact is University of York VAX mainframe useful when working with any deposits computer and processed using a Pascal associated, even if rather indirectly, with system written by HK, producing `main human occupation. statistics' and species lists in rank and taxonomic order for each assemblage, The abundance of these 'ecological' groups together with files of main statistics, is discussed against the background of species records and notes for the whole values for many other assemblages from a site. These were interrogated using the large number of sites. Thus, % N OB = 30 DATATRIEVE system. is a high value, but % N RT = 30 is low; while % N W or RF is high at 10. The index of diversity offers a guide to the presence or absence of remains of insects which bred in or on the developing deposit 3 Reports from the EAU, York 94/11 Technical report: Invertebrates from Roman Ribchester (autochthones), low values indicating another feed material; cereals. This 'stable breeding communities, high ones faunas of manure' group is considered further in the mixed origins. Note that `significantly' discussion section. low values differ for the various components of assemblages; the more inherently rich a component is, the higher Results the value of the index of diversity for a living community will be. Thus, `outdoor' The parasite egg analyses communities associated with natural vegetation tend to give a high value of ∀, Results of the systematic survey by means while very specialised communities, such of 'squashes' and of the measurements of as those of decaying matter deposited by eggs recovered by the MAFF method are humans, or stored grain, have low or very given in Appendix 1. Few samples gave low ones. eggs, and then only a trace except for some fills of a single pit, where substantial A group of species mentioned repeatedly quantities were present.