Copyright Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Sheep bones from Roystone Grange
Copyright Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Sheep bones from Roystone Grange
Dimensions : Jaw: length 11.4cm, width 4.8cm.
Site name : Roystone Grange
Site type : Industrial production site; Living site
Time period : Medieval
Material : Bone or antler
Object type : Animal remains
Museum number : 1997.1.GRANGE.3
The animal bones found on an excavation like Roystone Grange provide lots of information about what people ate. About 60% of the bones from the grange were of sheep. Only 7% were cattle and 2% were pig. The largest group of sheep bones were ribs.
Other meat animals were found. These included horse, rabbit, geese, chicken and red deer. Some fish bones were also found. This is a good mixed diet. The Medieval farmers seem to have eaten well.
The grange was run by a Cistercian abbey. The Cistercians were well known for their simple lifestyle. The rich meat diet seems at odds with this. Perhaps they did not keep to the rules of the Cistercian order. Perhaps the farm was largely run by lay brethren. These were not monks and not bound by the rules of the monastery. They probably came from the nearby village of Ballidon.
Bibliography :
Hodges, R. , 1991a
Glossary:
Cistercian
Excavation
Medieval
Related objects
Modern sheep skull
Spindle whorls from Roystone Grange
Pin from Hay Top
Six of the bone crescents from Kenslow Knoll
home
bibliography glossary web site map
© 2009 Museums Sheffield