Medeltida matföring : En osteologisk analys på det animala materialet från borgen Ringstaholm

Ringstaholm, a castle in Östergötland was established in 1310 and torn down during a rebellion in 1470. Previous research has shown the importance in castles and fortifications, but the animal bone material is rarely examined. An excavation was conducted in Ringstaholm, on an islet in Motala ström in 1912, where animal and human bones were found, along with mundane everyday items. Since the excavation in 1912 has the material that was found not been examined, and with no written report there is very little known about this particular site. The aim of this study has been to highlight the meat supply that was in the medieval castle of Ringstaholm in Motala ström, but also to examine the human remains that were left at the site after the rebellion against the castle. The results derives from the osteological analysis and the quantification on the animal bones, where species, age, sex and slaughter traces has been of interest in this study. There has also been an analysis on the human bones that were found on the site, which gives knowledge on the battle, and also the history of the inhabitants of the castle