The utilisation of fur-bearing animals in the British Isles A zooarchaeological hunt for data E.H. Fairnell MSc in Zooarchaeology The University of York Department of Archaeology (Incorporating the former Institute for Advanced Architectural Studies) September 2003 ‘There was nothing Lucy liked so much as the smell and feel of fur’ … C.S. Lewis (1953) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Abstract E.H. Fairnell The utilisation of fur-bearing animals in the British Isles: a zooarchaeological hunt for data MSC in Zooarchaeology viii prelims + 126pp (including 9 tables, 53 figures and 57 maps) + an appendix of 63pp + CD-ROM Few studies of the use of animals for their fur seem to be based on analysis of the remains of the species themselves. A database of zooarchaeological records of fur-bearing species was compiled from a systematic literature search. The species considered were bear, badger, beaver, cat, dog, ferret, fox, hare, pine marten, polecat, otter, rabbit, seal, squirrel, stoat and weasel. Preliminary analyses of data for England and Scotland seem to suggest a consistent use of fairly local resources to meet practical and fashionable demands. A few records from the 10th–17th centuries may show bulk processing of pelts, but they could be self- sufficient measures to save costs within the context of an expensive fur trade. Contents List of tables v List of figures vi List of maps vii Appendix and CD-ROM particulars viii 1 Introduction 1 The background 1 The present study 6 2 The role of zooarchaeology in identifying evidence of utilising a species for its fur 7 The process of skinning 7 Species identification 8 Cut marks 9 Element distribution 10 Other sources of evidence of skinning 13 Summary 14 3 Methodology 15 Source of the data set 15 Data recording 16 Data analysis 20 Summary 21 4 The initial analyses 22 The data 22 The species 22 The sites 23 Evidence of human use 23 Evidence of utilisation of fur 23 Summary 26 5 Analysis of when evidence of skinning occurs 27 Bear 28 Seal 29 Beaver 30 Squirrel 32 Polecat and ferret 33 Stoat and weasel 35 Pine marten 36 Otter 38 Badger 39 Fox 41 Hare 43 Rabbit 45 Cat 47 Dog 49 Summary 50 6 Analysis of where evidence of skinning occurs 52 Bear 52 Seal 53 Beaver 54 Squirrel 55 Polecat, ferret, stoat, weasel and pine marten 56 Otter and badger 57 Fox 59 Hare 60 Rabbit 61 Cat 62 Dog 63 Summary 64 7 Discussion and concluding remarks 65 Utilisation of fur-bearing species in the British Isles 65 The role of zooarchaeology 71 Application of the database and further research 72 Acknowledgements 73 References 74 Tables 88 Figures 92 Maps 108 Appendix 127 CD-ROM Inside back cover List of tables Table 1: Cultures referred to in the records in the database 88 Table 2: Definition of the time spans used for analysis of the database 88 Table 3: List of species identified in the master database, and number of records 89 Table 4: The species code allocated and number of records for those species that were analysed further 89 Table 5: The location of the sites from which the records came 90 Table 6: The site type classifications used for analysis 90 Table 7: A summary showing the number of records with some cut marks indicated, not necessarily indicative of skinning 91 Table 8: A summary showing the number of records with an element distribution that could be indicative of skinning 91 Table 9: A summary showing the numbers of records that seem to show evidence of skinning, based on analysis of element distribution, cut marks 91 v List of figures Figure 1: NISP of all bear records, with skinning records indicated as individual points 92 Figure 2: %total NISP of all bear records, with skinning records indicated as individual points 92 Figure 3: NISP of all seal records, with skinning records indicated as individual points 92 Figure 4: %total NISP of all seal records, with skinning records indicated as individual points 92 Figure 5: NISP of beaver skinning records 93 Figure 6: %total NISP of beaver skinning records 93 Figure 7: NISP of all beaver records 93 Figure 8: %total NISP of all beaver records 93 Figure 9: NISP of squirrel skinning records 94 Figure 10: %total NISP of squirrel skinning records 94 Figure 11: NISP of all squirrel records, excluding the record for The Bedern, York 94 Figure 12: %total NISP of all squirrel records, excluding the record for The Bedern, York 94 Figure 13: NISP of all polecat and ferret records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 95 Figure 14: %total NISP of all polecat and ferret records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 95 Figure 15: NISP of all stoat and weasel records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 95 Figure 16: %total NISP of all stoat and weasel records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 95 Figure 17: NISP of all pine marten records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 96 Figure 18: %total NISP of all pine marten records, with the skinning records indicated as individual points 96 Figure 19: The relative contribution of each of the mustelid species, excluding the otter and badger, across time 97 Figure 20: NISP of otter skinning records 98 Figure 21: %total NISP of otter skinning records 98 Figure 22: NISP of all otter records 98 Figure 23: %total NISP of all otter records 98 Figure 24: NISP of badger skinning records 99 Figure 25: %total NISP of badger skinning records 99 Figure 26: NISP of all badger records 99 Figure 27: %total NISP of all badger records 99 Figure 28: NISP of fox skinning records 100 Figure 29: %total NISP of fox skinning records 100 Figure 30: NISP of all fox records 100 Figure 31: %total NISP of all fox records 100 Figure 32: NISP of hare skinning records 101 Figure 33: %total NISP of hare skinning records 101 Figure 34: NISP of all hare records 101 Figure 35: %total NISP of all hare records 101 Figure 36: Detail of the NISP of all hare records 102 Figure 37: Detail of the %total NISP of all hare records 102 Figure 38: NISP of all rabbit records 103 Figure 39: NISP of the non-intrusive rabbit records, with one skinning record highlighted 103 Figure 40: Detail of the NISP of the assumed non-intrusive rabbit records from the database, excluding the outliers, and with two skinning records highlighted 103 Figure 41: %total NISP of the assumed non-intrusive rabbit records from the database, with two skinning records highlighted 103 Figure 42: NISP of cat skinning records 104 Figure 43: %total NISP of cat skinning records 104 Figure 44: NISP of all cat records 104 Figure 45: %total NISP of all cat 104 Figure 46: Detail of the NISP of all cat records 105 Figure 47: Detail of the %total NISP of all cat records 105 Figure 48: NISP of dog skinning records 106 Figure 49: %total NISP of dog skinning records 106 Figure 50: NISP of all dog records skinning records 106 Figure 51: %total NISP of all dog records skinning records 106 Figure 52: Detail of the NISP of all dog records skinning records 107 Figure 53: Detail of the %total NISP of all dog records skinning records 107 vi List of maps Map 1: Location of all the records from the database 108 Map 2: Location of records from the database identified as including evidence of skinning 108 Map 3: Detail of Map 1, showing the location of the more northerly records 108 Map 4: Detail of Map 2, showing the location of the more northerly skinning records 108 Map 5: Location of bear records for all time periods, and site type of skinning records 109 Map 6: Location of seal records for all time periods, and site type of skinning records 109 Map 7: Location of beaver records for all time periods, and site type of skinning records 109 Map 8: Location of squirrel records for all time periods, and site type of skinning records 109 Map 9: Location of mustelid records allocated to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic time periods 110 Map 10: Location of mustelid records allocated to the Iron Age time periods, and site type of skinning records 110 Map 11: Location of mustelid records allocated to the 2nd–9th centuries, and site type of skinning records 110 Map 12: Location of mustelid records allocated to the 10th–15th centuries, and site type of skinning records 110 Map 13: Location of mustelid records allocated to the 16th–21st centuries 111 Map 14: Location of badger and otter records allocated to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic time periods 112 Map 15: Location of badger and otter records allocated to the Iron Age time periods, and site type of skinning records 112 Map 16: Location of badger and otter records allocated to the 2nd–9th centuries, and site type of skinning records 112 Map 17: Location of badger and otter records allocated to the 10th–15th centuries, and site type of skinning records 112 Map 18: Location of badger and otter records allocated to the 16th–21st centuries, and site type of skinning records 113 Map 19: Location of fox records allocated to the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age time periods, and site type of skinning records 114 Map 20: Location of fox records allocated to the Iron Age time periods, and site type of skinning records 114 Map 21: Location of fox records allocated to the 2nd–5th centuries, and site type of skinning records 114 Map 22: Location of fox records allocated to the 6th–9th centuries 114 Map 23: Location of fox records allocated to the 10th–15th centuries, and site type of skinning records 115 Map 24: Location of fox records allocated to the 16th–19th centuries 115 Map 25: Location of hare records allocated to the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age