Professional Excavation Services in Newport

The zooarchaeologists at archaeology.biz (many thanks to Jessica Waterworth) made an unusual discovery in an assemblage from one of our sites recently. Two snake vertebrae (Viperidae/Colubridae) were recovered from potential Iron Age deposits at a site in Northamptonshire. nnWhile unlikely to have resulted from human activity, the remains provide valuable information about the diversity of species within the local environment at the time and along with other microfauna identified, can be useful indicators of past environmental conditions.nnThis finding highlights the importance of environmental sampling on site. The remains are very small and easy to miss during excavation. Bulk soil sampling allows for this sort of evidence to be recovered, broadening our understanding of archaeological sites.nnUnderstanding the diversity of species in the past is particularly relevant to the rewilding conversation and combined with other environmental data, it can also help with the understanding of past climatic change as well as environmental change as a result of human action.