Archaeologists working near the site of an Iron Age home near Cambridge were puzzled when they discovered a huge number of frog skeletons. Why more than 8,000 bones were accumulated and preserved is a prehistoric mystery.
They were all discovered from a single 14-meter ditch, right next to the site of a round Iron Age house in Bar Hill, where there was a settlement in the Middle and Late Iron Ages (400 BC-43 AD). no.). The discovery was made by the Museum of London Archeology (Mola) Headland Infrastructure, conducting excavations as part of a scheme to improve the route of the A14 Cambridge National Highways to Huntingdon.
Although it is not uncommon to find frog bones in ancient places, archaeologists are puzzled by the vast amount found in Bar Hill.
Dr Vicki Ewens, a senior archaeologist at Mola, a specialist in ancient animal bones, told the Observer: “In my experience, working mainly on sites in London doesn’t get as many frogs. Having so many bones coming from one ditch is extraordinary. “
Zooarchaeologist Vicki Ewens analyzes the frog bones found in Bar Hill. Photo: © Mola / AndyChopping
Noting that these bones belong mainly to the common frog and the common frog, species found in garden ponds across the country, she said: “We also had possible evidence of a frog in the pool, which is exciting … This is not something that we usually find archeological.
“In my research, I found only two Saxon objects with single bones each. They are a frog found only in the East of England, which disappeared in the 1990s, probably due to habitat loss, but has recently been reintroduced.
As this is prehistory, it is difficult to find an explanation, although ancient civilizations – including the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks and Romans – all saw the frog as a symbol of fertility, among other associations.
Bar Hill
It is unlikely that these amphibians were eaten by the inhabitants of the village. Archaeologists say that although there is evidence of amphibian consumption in Britain dating back to the Stone Age, these bones have no cuts or burns. However, if the frogs were cooked, this may have left no trace.
Evidence of charcoal found near the site suggests that its inhabitants cultivated crops that would attract pests such as beetles and aphids, which frogs are known to eat. So the frogs may have been attracted to the area by the promise of food, archaeologists have suggested.
Other potential explanations include a “prehistoric frog tragedy.” Archaeologists say frogs are known to move in large numbers in the spring in search of water for reproduction, and they could fall into the ditch and fall into a trap.
According to one hypothesis, the unusual number of deaths may have been caused by winter difficulties. While wintering frogs sometimes hide in the mud, extreme cold can kill them and they may have fallen victim to a particularly severe winter.
Alternatively, they may have suffered from the disease, just as they did in the 1980s, when frogs in the UK were ravaged by ranavirus.
It is not clear how deep the ditch was. The team on the ground dug about a meter of top and ground layer to reach it. Only small amounts of household waste were found at the site, which include pieces of pottery from the Iron Age.
Aerial view of the archeological site excavated in Bar Hill. Photo: © Mola / HeadlandInfrastructure
Amphibian bones were among a huge number of finds, from artifacts to human remains, during about 40 excavations conducted between 2016 and 2018 on an area covering 234 hectares. Analyzes are still ongoing, although excavations have already been completed.
Juens has spent the last two years studying the bones of animals, including cattle. Once all the research comes together, we hope to shed new light on life thousands of years ago and find the cause of death for so many amphibians.
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