- Animal bones are still relatively scarce from Early Medieval sites, with soil conditions generally unsuitable for their survival. The 2012 excavation at Trusty’s Hill, Anwoth, did however reveal faunal remains, derived predominantly from cattle, but with sheep/goat and pig also represented (Toolis and Bowles 2013, 36).
- Recent excavations at crannogs such as Buiston, Barean Loch and Milton Loch 3 have demonstrated that occupation may extend – perhaps intermittently – over a long period spanning the Iron Age and Early Medieval periods. Sometimes these sites continue in use through the Medieval period (see Chapter 10 Medieval). Without the targeted dating of specific animal remains, assigning particular animals or even species to a particular phase of occupation is often impossible. Adding to the difficulties is the fact that many of these crannog sites were first explored by antiquarians active in the 19th century, using excavation techniques incomparable with those used today. Faunal remains were often not retained at this time, with the bones discarded once data regarding species and age of individuals was obtained. Nonetheless, the antiquarian accounts suggest a comparable range of species with those revealed from Trusty’s Hill, with cattle, sheep/goat and pig represented. Horse bones are also recorded from crannogs, as are the bones of wild species like red deer, roe deer and wildfowl such as geese, suggesting some intake of wild resources (Holden 1996, 257).
- Still relatively rare, but recovered more frequently during excavations across the region, is evidence for arable crops such as barley and oats. Charred barley has been recovered from several high-status sites, including from the second phase timber hall structure at Lockerbie Academy, which has been linked with Anglian occupation of the site (Kirby 2011a and b). Barley and oats were also recovered from Early Medieval levels at the nucleated hillfort site of Trusty’s Hill, Anwoth, which was again occupied in its later phases by the Anglians. The site has also produced hazelnut shells, suggesting the utilisation of wild plant resources (Toolis and Bowles 2013). Modern excavations at crannog sites have also revealed evidence for arable cultivation: the crannog at Buiston has, for example, revealed hulled barley, flax seeds and a single grain of oats (Holden 1996, 257).
- Evidence for grain-processing has also been recovered in the form of corn-drying kilns located in close association with agricultural land, with developer-led excavations at Curragh, Girvan (Barbour and McNichol 2025) and Hunterston North revealing structures of this type. The example from Hunterston North was representative of an 8th to early 10th century AD, keyhole-shaped form not matched by eastern Scottish finds, but comparable instead with Irish forms. There, examples are found which span the 1st millennium AD, with barley often recovered in association. The type declined in Ireland from the beginning of the 9th century AD, a change thought to be associated with changes in harvesting techniques and the widespread adoption of mills (Gordon et al. 2020). The presence of such a distinctly Irish type at Hunterston North shows Irish links consistent with the presence of the Hunterston brooch, with its blend of Irish, Pictish and Norse craftsmanship and iconography.
- Some sites, however, which reveal evidence for the consumption of cereal grains show no corresponding evidence for crop-processing. The crannog site at Buiston was one such example. Here, despite the rich organic assemblage preserved in the site’s waterlogged deposits, there was no evidence of chaff, the waste product generated by threshing and separating the grain from its parent stalks. This suggests that crop-processing took place away from the crannog itself (Holdon 1996, 257).
- Occasional evidence for the consumption of some southern European herbs has also been recovered from within the region, in particular dill and coriander. To date, two sites have produced these herbs: Whithorn and Buiston (Holden 1996, 257-8). Both of these herbs were originally introduced during the Roman occupation of Britain and their occasional presence within Early Medieval contexts suggests some degree of continuity with the past. It is unknown, however, whether the plants were actually grown on site or whether the seeds had been imported in dried form.
- The use of wild plant resources has also been attested from crannog sites. Buiston has revealed evidence for the presence of raspberry and bramble plants near the site, both edible berries which could have been consumed as fruits or used for their sweetening properties. Evidence for the use of moss has also been recovered at Buiston, with sphagnum moss apparently used for caulking walkways and a length of hairmoss found with its strands plaited to form a rope (Holdon 1996, 258).
- Finally, detailed and important evidence has been recovered which informs on the cultivation techniques used within the region. Excavations by the Whithorn Trust at Whithorn have revealed early evidence for ploughing with the use of a wooden mouldboard to cut through the soil. Two phases of ploughmarks were identified there, the earliest dated to the 6th-7th centuries AD and the latest to the mid-9th century AD (Hill and Kacharski 1990). The use of this technique was identified through the presence of ‘plough pebbles.’ These distinctive objects were fitted to the mouldboard to protect it during use, and they can be identified by their distinctive wear pattern. The method is traditionally associated with areas under Anglian or Northumbrian control, but at Whithorn there was some suggestion that the use of plough pebbles may have predated the Northumbrian settlement there (ibid. 82), indicating that this method of ploughing was also practised by the native British precursors of the Anglians.