TABLES   CONTENTS 

Table 206: Foods available at Elms Farm, Heybridge, Essex, by period

Summary of the evidence for food from plant and fish remains found in samples, together with shells and animal bones from archaeological excavations at Heybridge, Essex.

Key: * = pollen, Ins = insects, ++ = abundant, # = exotic plants, imported or introduced, fam. = family.
Period Cereals, Crops Herbs, Edible plants Fruit and nuts Meat Poultry and game Fish and Shellfish Other Food and Drink
LIA - E. ROMAN
Period 2

Mid 1st - Early 2nd C.
Spelt
Emmer
B.wheat
Barley

Flax
Cereal*
Legumes? Hazel nuts
Bramble Sloe
Beef
Mutton
Pork
Red deer
Chicken
Duck

Sm wader
Woodcock
Eel
Shad
Sm Gadid
Plaice
Flounder
Mullet fam.
Oysters
Mussels
Milk (goat)
E.ROMAN
Period 3

Mid 2nd - 3rd C.
Spelt ++
B.wheat
Barley
Oat, wild
Emmer

Stored grain (Ins.)

Flax
Peas*
Coriander#
Dill #
Beet?
Opium-poppy #

Cornsalad
Mint
(Sainfoin)
Hazel nuts
Walnut #
Hawthorn
Elder
Bramble
Sloe
Cherry #
Bullace
Plums #
Beef
Mutton
Pork
Roe deer
Chicken
Swan
Ducks
Plover
Sm Wader
Eel
Herring
Shad
Salmonid
Saithe
Sm Gadid
Flounder
Plaice
Oysters ++
Mussels
Whelks
Cockle
Milk (goat)

Honey (bee)

MALT/beer
MIDDLE ROMAN
Period 4

4th C.
Spelt ++
Emmer few
Barley few
Oat few

Peas*
Grapevine*
Mint
Wild celery
Hazel nuts
Sloe
Bramble
Elder
Beef
Mutton
Pork
Deer
Chicken
Geese
Teal
Woodcock
Sm Wader
Eel
Herring
Salmonid
Whiting
Poor cod
Mackerel
Flounder
Oysters ++
Mussels
Whelks
Milk (goat)

MALT/beer
Grapes/wine
MID-LATE ROMAN
Period 4-5
Spelt
B.wheat
Emmer few
Barley few

Peas*
MintHazel nuts
Bramble
Elder
Sloe
Cherry #
Grape #
Beef
Mutton
Pork
Deer
Chicken
Ducks
Woodcock
Plover
Curlew
Fish present

Oysters+
Mussels
Whelks
LATE ROMAN
Period 5
Spelt ++
B.wheat few
Barley
Oat, few
Mustards?
Legumes?
Hazel nuts
Sloe
Cherry #
Beef
Mutton
Pork
Red deer
Hare
Chicken
Geese
Ducks
Plover
Woodcock
Sm wader
Eel
Herring
Pike?
Red mullet
Grey mullet
Plaice
Flounder
Dab
Halibut
Oysters
Mussels
Whelks
Cockle
L.ROMAN-SAXON
Period 6
Barley
Spelt
Legumes?Hazel nuts Beef
Mutton
Pork
Red deer
Roe deer
Chicken
Geese
Ducks
Woodcock
Fish present
Oysters
Mussels
Whelk