Chemical changes in buried animal bone: Data from a postmedieval assemblage

Macroscopic chemical analysis of animal bone recovered from dated excavation contexts of known pH from Castle Bromwich Hall, West Midlands, UK, allows an assessment of the rate and effects of bone decomposition, and the evaluation of current models of chemical decay. The results show great variation, and it is suggested that factors such as mechanical disturbance have a more significant effect on the differential destruction of excavated bone assemblages than chemical decay. The implications of this conclusion for the attempted reconstruction of past faunas, diet and behaviour are summarized, recommending caution in the acceptance of assemblages as unbiased samples.     

Samuel Pepys’s Navy Preserved In Situ?

Abstract

This paper will focus on the wreck of the Stirling Castle, which was one of four ships of the line to perish on the Goodwin Sands during the Great Storm of 27 November 1703. The Goodwin Sands lies off the south-east coast of Kent between Dover and Ramsgate. These sands are famously known as the ‘Ship Swallower’. This paper will discuss what has been learnt from the site’s investigations, the heritage management issues of preservation in situ, and offer a strategy for the future management of the site.