The study of fish remains from British archaeological sites.

The subject of this study falls into two parts. Firstly
an examination of the methodology of the analysis of archaeological
fish remains. It considers the problems of recovering
and quantifying material and then the aims and difficulties
of analysis. Several lines of evidence can be used to study how the fish were caught and utilised but much of it is
ambiguous and natural agencies can produce similar patterns.
One major use-for fish remains lies in the study of seasonality;
behavioural evidence is not as reliable as is often
claimed but growth rings and sometimes fish size are clear
indicators.
Integrated with this is a case study of a large and
well-recovered assemblage of fish remains from a series of
five fourth millennium bc. shell middens on the small island
of Oronsay(Inner Hebrides). The fauna is dominated by the
young age stages of one species, the saithe(Pollachius virens) but at least fifteen other fishes are represented; they are
mostly found along rocky shores or in inshore waters. The
size of the assemblage and the lack of selectivity, both in
species and sizes, suggests a technique of mass capture such
as a weir or nets; however, a combination of methods including
line fishing from boats seems likely.
The behaviour of the species and evidence from the
traditional fisheries demonstrates that it could be caught for most of the year, except the 'winter' quarter. Fish size
and growth ring data reveal a consistent pattern of a single
principal fishing season at each site and differences between
them. Collectively, the period of fishing spans much of the
year and, as the sites are broadly contemporary, there is a
strong possibility that they functioned as part of a single economic system.