The social and economic role of freshwater fish in Medieval England: a zooarchaeological approach.

Historical sources report how some species of freshwater fish were considered - from the 11th to the 15th c. AD - as a luxury food in England. The high retail price associated with species such as pike, salmon and sturgeon, as well as restrictions of fishing rights on rivers, estuaries and natural and artificial ponds demonstrate the role of these species as symbols of social privilege. The value of other freshwater and estuarine species, such as Cyprinidae and eel, is more complex and was associated with their size or source of fishing (fishponds). By analysing 11 English sites of different status and type (castles, religious establishments and urban sites), this thesis evaluates the extent to which the archaeological evidence supports the documentary sources. In particular, species selection and fish size are investigated as potentially meaningful variables. By and large, the historical information is supported but many further details are provided. Higher proportions of freshwater fish are found at high status sites. The size of a selected number of freshwater and migratory species is consistently larger in castles and distributed across a wide range of measurements. This suggests a managed use of the freshwater water resources and the availability of fresh fish throughout the year, probably as a consequence of the tenure of private fishponds. In religious establishments, the evidence of high status is less pronounced than in castles as widespread meat avoidance led to a different way to manage fish resources. The archaeological evidence from towns suggests an overall lower status but is also indicative of the complex and diversified social background of the urban dwellers. It is concluded that freshwater fish represent a valid indicator of high status in medieval England, though different lines of evidence - such as taxonomic frequencies and diversity, as well as fish size and age - need to be considered for sound archaeological interpretation.