Establishing a narrative: a bioarchaeological study of agricultural development in early medieval Yorkshire

ABSTRACT The development of agriculture played an important role in the development of society during the early medieval period. This paper presents an insight into the changes in crop and animal husbandry for early medieval Yorkshire (fourth – late thirteenth century). A synthesis of archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological evidence from 163 sites revealed multiple changes in the presence of different cereal types and main domesticates. While a high presence of wheat and barley was observed across the period, an increased use of both oats and rye has been highlighted. Faunal evidence has emphasised the different sub-regional developments of cattle and sheep/goats within Yorkshire. These trends suggest that agricultural development went initially through a phase of abatement marked by the apparent taking up of subsistence-oriented crop and unspecialised animal husbandry practices. A phase of agricultural intensification was observed during the Anglo-Scandinavian and later phases as the arable was enlarged through the use of more specific cereals (like oats and rye). It is suggested that this was accompanied by an increasingly specialised animal economy focusing on their secondary products. Additionally, Anglian estate organisation might have been an important contributor towards the development of agricultural methods in areas like the Yorkshire Wolds.