| Description | Pig skeleton found October, 1963 during clearance of area at Ferrybridge P. Station for erection of huts. Not clear from RCHM record who found and subsequently excavated, recorded and cleaned the burial. Found in scooped grave; RCHM notes state burial was found 75' `west' of PRN 1298, but accompanying diagram suggests that this should perhaps be `north'. No means of directly connecting the animal to the human burial found by T. Pacitto in 1962 (PRN 1298) in Roundhill Field, but the proximity of the two and fact that pig skeleton lacked skull, may indicate prehistoric date for latter. Analogies exist for use of prehistoric pork in funeral ritual; sometimes only a few bones from a joint survive, sometimes a complete skeleton (e.g. Greenwell, 1877, p.274; p.275 Folkton; p.278 Cherry Burton; p.283 Elton; p.298 Goodmanham; p.454 Arras). The Ferrybridge pig represented a young animal as was the case in most of Greenwell's findings of pig burials. Possible that head only was used in some prehistoric ritual, the skeleton being buried nearby. RCHM notes state that there is no known or published record of discovery of a pig skull. Grave was dug by hand and RCHM notes state that there is no chance of skull having been overlooked or thrown away. Skeleton was in an oval shaped scoop grave, cut 6 9 inches into the magnesian limestone; its original depth was probably c.2 ft. The grave had been dug away, save for the original flat floor on which the skeleton lay. Dimensions in plan were probably c. 2' 6 by 1' 6. No objects of any sort were found with the skeleton. Burial covered with loose brown soil; skeleton crushed but fully articulated and orientated approx. N S. Body had been placed on its back. About three quarters of skeleton were cleaned and photographed in situ; a few bones from the top of the vertebral column and forelimb bones had been disturbed in digging, but were apparently conserved `in a nearby office'. Site of Early Bronze Age burial excavated in 1962 (PRN 1298) was apparently still clearly visible when pig burial was found. |