Assessment of the Animal Bone from the Shiant Isles

overall animal bone record. The assemblage is thought to be largely post medieval, with a small number of contexts dating from the Iron Age and Early Med periods. Most of the material comes from the post-medieval blackhouse midden and its surrounding area on Eilean an Tighe (HI 15). However, a significant amount of material also derives from Iron Age contexts on Eilean an Tighe and also the roundhouse at Annat on Garbh Eilean (RI 41B), with contexts ranging from the Iron Age, Norse and post medieval periods. All specimens from all contexts were scanned and fragments identifiable to species quantified with the exception of the upper midden (HI 15B, context 30) for which approximately 50 % were assessed. Bones and teeth for which measurements could be taken or age ascertained were also noted along with any modifications that were evident. Condition of the bone was noted for each bag on a scale of one to five, where one was excellent, with surface features such as cut marks, gnaw marks and pathology well-preserved and five is very poor with fragments not identifiable beyond ‘bone’. A summary of the quantified data is presented in table 1