Tracking the elusive fallow deer Exploring stable isotope evidence for imports during the Iron Age and Roman periods in Britain David Osborne

Fallow deer in Europe and their reintroduction to Britain Iberia Mallorca Anatolia Sicily Rhodes PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Sites in Britain Iron Age Roman Vindolanda Binchester Carlisle Iron Age Roman Map adapted from Sykes et al. 2006, Tracking animals using strontium isotopes in teeth: the role of fallow deer (Dama dama) in Roman Britain, Antiquity 80, 948–959 (fig. 2) Scole Dickleburgh War Ditches Lydney Park Barnsley Park Monkton Fishbourne PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Locating archaeological samples Iron Age sites Lydney Park, Glos. War Ditches, Cambs. Roman sites Vindolanda, Northumberland Carlisle, Cumbria Binchester, Co. Durham Barnsley Park, Glos. Scole Dickleburgh, Norfolk/Suffolk PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Antlers “The antlers of deer are so improbable that if they had not evolved in the first place they would never have been conceived even in the wildest fantasies of the most imaginative biologists”. Richard Goss (1983). Deer Antlers: regeneration, function and evolution. New York: Academic Press PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Isotope measurements on antlers δ13C, δ15N dietary information: plant consumption (C3/C4 photosynthetic pathways), marine signature, aridity Sampling along length of antler high-resolution data on change of diet during antler growth? Compare with results from archaeological specimens PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Modern antlers from Phoenix Park, Dublin PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Antler sample locations spellers PROXIMAL coronet beam palm BROW TREZ trez tine brow tine DISTAL PALM PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

CO2-corrected δ13C, δ15N results Carbon values corrected according to Long et al. 2005, Controlling for anthropogenically induced atmospheric variation in stable carbon isotope studies. Oecologia 146, 148–156. PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ15N against δ13C antlers shown by connecting paths PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ15N against δ13C antlers shown individually PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ13C and δ15N values along antlers PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ13C and δ15N change with known age PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Age estimation from antlers Is it possible to estimate animal age from their antlers? Rachel Billson used antler metrics such as beam width and circumference to estimate age range Billson, R. (2008). An investigation into the relationship between the size of antlers and age of animal in fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks, and the possibility of aging antlers recovered from archaeological excavations. Unpublished undergraduate dissertation, University College, London. PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ13C against predicted age PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

δ15N against predicted age PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Modern and archaeological antler PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Modern and archaeological antler and postcrania PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Summary Stable isotope analysis of antlers has not previously been very common Now have more knowledge of variation of C and N along antlers: results are tentative Cause? Perhaps fractionation effects during growth or bone remodelling? Differences from archaeological samples from other areas suggest SIA could be used with caution to detect imports PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Further reading Miller, H., R. Carden, A. Lamb, R. Madgwick, D. Osborne, R. Symmons and N. J. Sykes (2014). Dead or alive? Investigating long-distance transport of live fallow deer and their body parts in antiquity. Environmental Archaeology, submitted. MSc dissertation http://opendepot.org/2137 Dama International http://fallow-deer-project.net Deer bone database http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/zooarchaeology/deer_bone/ PZAF 2014 20 June 2014

Acknowledgements Dr Naomi Sykes, Dr Richard Madgwick, Dr Holly Miller, Frazer Bowen, Elizabeth Farebrother University of Nottingham Dr Ruth Carden National Museum of Ireland Prof Jane Evans, Dr Angela Lamb NIGL This research is supported by the AHRC (Standard Grant AH/I026456/1) University of Nottingham Individual Development Fund