York Historic Environment Record

A moderate quantity of animal bones was recovered from deposits of late 2nd to 4th century date from excavations at 6 Driffield Terrace, York. The vertebrate material discussed in this report came from grave fills, pits and layers associated with an extensive Roman cemetery located to the south of the Roman colonia adjacent to one of the main Roman roads approaching the city. Most of the vertebrate assemblage was recovered from features assigned to Phases 4 and 5, including the part skeletons of several horses associated with the fills of multiple graves from Phase 4. The assemblage was characterised by variable preservation in different areas of the site and a high degree of fragmentation throughout, the latter mainly a result of fresh breakage but also caused by reworking and redeposition of the material during cemetery activity. Most of the non-equine remains appeared to represent primary butchery waste, with some refuse from secondary butchering activities such as processing for marrow and kitchen waste. Although the horse remains were originally thought to be of some ritual significance, the random distribution of the fragments and the presence of other horse bones scattered throughout the cemetery deposits suggests the disturbance and redeposition of material by later human burials rather than the deliberate inclusion of grave goods/offerings.