Bronze Age Meat Feasts: New Archaeological Evidence
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on the archaeological findings and their interpretation:
Main Finding:
Archaeological evidence suggests that people in southern Britain responded to a period of climatic and economic instability (around 200-400 AD) by engaging in large-scale feasting. This is based on the finding of massive “middens” – ancient rubbish heaps – containing huge quantities of animal bones.
Key Details:
“Age of Feasting”: Cardiff University researchers describe the period as an “age of feasting,” suggesting it was a purposeful response to hardship.
community Building: The feasting events were likely used to build and strengthen relationships within and between communities, providing “community cohesion” during a troubled time.
Varied Feasts: Different feasting sites had distinct characteristics,similar to how modern festivals vary.
Specific Sites & meat Preferences:
Potterne (Wiltshire): Largest site, dominated by pork. Pigs came from a wide area – Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and northern England.
Runnymede (Surrey): Favored beef, with cattle sourced from Wales and Cornwall/Devon.
East Chisenbury (near Stonehenge): Mutton was likely the main dish, with sheep coming from the immediate local area.
* Time Period: The events occurred during a period of climatic and economic instability, roughly 200-400 AD.
In essence, the research suggests that rather than simply suffering during a tough period, people actively came together to share food and reinforce social bonds through large communal feasts.