Juggling a Variety of Foods: Mount Sandel

Image from Irish Archaeology: http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/07/mount-sandel-a-mesolithic-campsite/

Mount Sandel is the oldest archaeological site in Ireland, dating to 7,000 BC.  It’s located in Northern Ireland, close to the River Bann.  There were huts thatched presumably with wood and containing a central hearth placed all over the site.  Most of the animal remains are fish, which includes salmon, trout, eel, bass, and flounder, all of which could have been caught in the River Bann.  Wooden racks for drying and smoking the fish were found at the site, showing that people were preparing them for storage.  The local population also ate some mammals, mostly wild boar, but also the occasional hare and wolf or dog.  People weren’t just eating fish, though; there are a lot of remains of hazelnuts, vetch, goosegrass, wild crab apple, and white water lily, in addition to many, many others.  Different species of plants would have been available at different parts of the year, so the fact that they all appear at the site shows that people were staying there year-round, and that their diet changed seasonally.  However, even with the seasonal changes, the occupants at Mount Sandel fished and gathered more than they hunted.

Image from Archaeological Consultancy Ltd: http://www.archaeologicalconsultancy.com/projects_clowanstown1.asp