Humans and animals in Early Medieval Wales: The zooarchaeology of Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey

Hood, Meredith 2025. Humans and animals in Early Medieval Wales: The zooarchaeology of Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

	PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 27 February 2027 due to copyright restrictions. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (10MB) | Request a copy
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (236kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Understandings of farming systems and human-animal interactions in early medieval Wales (5th –11th centuries CE) have been limited by poor survival of faunal remains and sparse historical texts. The previously unstudied animal bones recovered from the enclosed settlement at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey, in north-west Wales is therefore a valuable resource for understanding the management and exploitation of animals during what was a formative period in the creation of Welsh identity. The site produced a rich artefact assemblage and has been interpreted as an important centre of administration and exchange, possibly under royal oversight (Redknap 2006; Redknap 2016). However, many questions remain regarding the nature of the site’s agricultural economy, particularly with regards to subsistence practices. This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the large faunal assemblage from early medieval Llanbedrgoch, using both traditional zooarchaeological methods and stable isotope analysis. The data is contextualised through comparisons with key case study sites and broader zooarchaeological syntheses from the British Isles, in order to explore how patterns of animal use in Wales compared to those observed elsewhere. The material reveals that Llanbedrgoch relied primarily on cattle, sheep and pig for meat, and to a lesser extent, secondary products. The site was likely involved in the collection and distribution of food renders, as documented in early Welsh law texts. Cattle played a particularly important role at the site, embedded within wider economic systems of wealth and exchange. Wild animals were also exploited for both meat and craft-working materials such as antler and fur. Elite identities were constructed and expressed through the hunting of deer and wild birds. The analysis of the animal remains from Llanbedrgoch has contributed valuable new data to the thus-far limited corpus of faunal material from early medieval Wales, and expanded understandings of human-animal interactions during this dynamic period.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
Funders:	South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	20 February 2026
Date of Acceptance:	12 December 2025
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2026 09:56
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185088

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item