Walking on Eggshells: A Study of Egg Use in Anglo-Scandinavian York Based on Eggshell Identification Using ZooMS
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Eggshell is a potentially common archaeological resource, but it tends to be ignored. The recent development of ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) as a rapid and robust system for taxonomic identification of preserved eggshell fragments has facilitated new insights into patterns of egg use in the past. This paper presents a case study of egg use at two sites in Anglo-Scandinavian York (Hungate and Coppergate). The results described below suggest that the relative prevalence of goose eggshell may become a useful indicator of status, consistent with other characteristics of the two sites, and also demonstrate an apparent lack of exploitation of eggs of wild birds in York during the Anglo-Scandinavian period. These results highlight the interpretative potential of eggshell, which can now begin to be more fully explored.
Original language | English |
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Journal | International Journal of Osteoarchaeology |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 3 |
Pages (from-to) | 247-255 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISSN | 1047-482X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
- Bioarchaeology, Eggshell, Zooarchaeology, ZooMS
Research areas
ID: 228448964