Excavations particularly within the urban centre of Perth have uncovered rich assemblages of both carbonised and waterlogged plant remains, especially relating to the earlier part of the period – 12th–13th centuries). These include sites on High Street (Moloney and Coleman 1997; Fraser 2012; Smith 2012), Canal Street (Coleman 1996), Horse Cross (Cox 2007), South Street (Stronach 2003). Due to the frequent flooding of the Perth an array of waterlogged plant remains, which are rarely found at other Scottish sites, have survived and these have provided a wealth of information on plants that would not normally be preserved. The good anaerobic preservation has allowed macroplant remains to be recovered from many different everyday features and deposits, including cess pits/latrines, floor deposits, middens, ditch and pit fills and layers of dung, etc. They supply invaluable evidence of the types of plants that were being brought to Perth and used on an everyday basis, those that were likely growing on or near the site and imported goods brought into the royal burgh.
Cereals, which formed the staple diet for the greater part of the medieval population, included oats and barley with smaller quantities of wheat. The composition of the cereal remains from Perth is consistent with assemblages recovered from other excavated urban centres across Scotland. Exotics included dried figs, grapes and walnuts; these must have been imported from the Continent and southern England.. Evidence of more locally grown fruits included bramble, raspberry, blaeberry, glean or wild cherry and apple. A large portion of the plants recovered, however, were waste ground species, such as nettles and docks, that were likely growing locally around the settlement, and cornflower or stinking mayweed, possibly brought to site in animal dung.
Other plant remains recovered suggest links between the burgh and its hinterland. For instance, hazelnuts found in backland ditches must have been harvested in the countryside in autumn. While collection of other organic materials, such as moss for rope, bedding and toilet hygiene and cereal straw for roofing and animal fodder, also demonstrates exploitation of the rural hinterland (Fairweather 1997).
Fraser (2012) and Smith (2012) have brought together the results of the archaeobotanical analysis from the 1970s High Street excavations with documentary evidence, including the Perth Guildry Books (1400–1600 AD), to provide context to the macroplant remains recovered. This has proved effective and indicates that combining documentary and archaeological evidence, where available, informs us about late medieval diet and trade throughout the region.
Whilst the excavations within Perth have provided a mass of information on late medieval plant remains, there is a distinct lack of macroplant remains from other small town or rural sites within the region. Although small town sites have been excavated over the years, few samples have been retained and processed for environmental remains. More evidence is particularly needed from these sites to inform us about their status and economy and to study the supply of cereals and other food resources to the towns.
Some information on the nature of rural agricultural practices in the later medieval period has been gleaned by excavations of corn-drying kilns uncovered at Abercairny (MPK1519: Gibson 1989; Fairweather 1989) and Kinross High School (MPK17086: Cachart 2008; Hastie 2008). Both kilns date to the 11th–13th centuries. The first, at Abercairny, contained deposits of burnt six-row barley recovered from the floor of the kiln flue. These grains showed signs of having started to germinate, while the weed seed assemblage indicated that the barley crop was grown on enriched damp ground (Fairweather 1989). The second kiln, at Kinross High School, only containing small amounts of poorly preserved cereal grain and was noted to be of crude construction, suggesting a temporary or short-lived structure (Cathcart 2008). These excavations indicate the potential of such structures to provide a wealth of information on the crops grown, cultivation techniques employed and crop processing practices throughout the region during the late medieval period.
Tantalising evidence for the use of garden pea in the region has also been identified from a late medieval rural site recovered during excavations at Inchture (Miller and Ramsay 2004a). Dickson and Dickson (2000) notes that peas and beans were imported into Scotland during the 13th and 14th century and the evidence from Inchture could potentially indicate movement of such goods from the urban centres out to rural areas.
The recovered plant remains from the above medieval rural sites, although currently limited, does indicate that a wealth of information on later medieval plant remains can be uncovered at these sites. The sampling of deposits from rural settlement sites should be priorities when the opportunities arise.
Research Priorities
One of the main objectives of this period is to study the relationship between towns and the countryside and to establish how towns were provisioned. Sampling for the recovery of charred and waterlogged macroplant remains, from a range of medieval sites across the region, should be a priority, ie from small towns, monastic sites, castles and especially rural settlement sites.
Further detailed sampling of well-preserved waterlogged macroplant remains from Perth will add to our understanding and knowledge of the crops and garden plants cultivated, imported goods and crafts involving plants.
Archaeobotanical evidence, where available, should be considered in conjunction with documentary resources as these provide additional information about and aid interpretation of the macroplant material.
Any in situ deposits associated with specific industrial activities, such as cloth working, brewing and tanning, should be sampled for recovery of macroplant remains.