Internet Archaeol 9. Hunter-Mann. Environmental evidence 2

Table 36 and Figs.63-4 illustrate the relative abundance of the three major domesticates. These data demonstrate the problems caused by variations in different methods of quantification. The NISP shows cattle to be the most abundant, while calculations of the MNI suggests that there is more caprovid material. This discrepancy can be explained in two ways. Firstly, the NISP for cattle is inflated by the large numbers of first phalanges. This may be a reflection of differential preservation (this bone is compact and durable) or of some specialist carcass utilisation. The MNI is, in all cases, based upon mandibles. This again may be biased by the relative durability of caprovid mandibles and the potential economic value of cattle mandibles (Dobney et al. 1996a, 25). Table 37 shows that there is no significant change in the relative frequency of the species represented between Phases 1 and 2.

Species	NISP	NISP %	MNI	MNI %
Cattle	215	57	12	26
Caprovid	143	38	28	61
Pig	20	5	6	13

Table 36: Welton Road, Brough: number and frequency of main domestic mammals using NISP (number of identified specimens) and MNI (minimum number of individuals) counts. (MNI counts calculated using the method outlined by Dobney and Rielly 1988)

Fig.63: Welton Road, Brough: frequency of the main domesticates using NISP counts

Fig.64: Welton Road, Brough: frequency of the main domesticates using MNI counts

	Phase 1		Phase 2		Total
Species	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Cattle	94	56	121	52	215	54
Caprovid	55	32	88	38	143	36
Pig	10	6	10	4	20	5
Horse	7	4	10	4	17	4
Dog	1	0.6	2	0.8	3	0.75
Roe deer	1	0.6	0	0	1	0.2

Table 37: Welton Road, Brough: fragment counts for all recorded taxa by phase

The remaining mammalian species represented in the assemblage are horse (17 fragments), dog (three fragments) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus (L.) (one fragment). In terms of the NISP, these three species represent only 5% of the total analysed sample (Table 38 and Figure 65).

Element	Cattle	Caprovid	Pig	Horse	Dog	Roe deer
Horncore	2	1	-	-	-	-
Mandible	22	50	8	-	-	-
Scapula	4	6	-	4	1	-
Humerus	9	10	2	-	-	-
Radius	4	4	2	-	1	-
Metacarpal	16	4	-	3	-	-
Pelvis	6	10	1	-	-	-
Femur	1	3	1	-	-	-
Tibia	6	31	2	2	1	1
Metatarsal	15	6	1	1	-	-
Metapodial	1	2	-	1	-	-
Calcaneum	12	2	1	1	-	-
Astragalus	15	4	-	1	-	-
Phalanx 1	78	5	2	4	-	-
Phalanx 3	18	-	-	-	-	-
M3	4	2	-	-	-	-
Dp4	2	3		-	-	-
Total	215	143	20	17	3	1

Table 38: Welton Road, Brough: skeletal element counts for all identified taxa

6.2.3 Species representation and quantification