Butser Ancient Farm - Prehistoric Farming

Butser Ancient Farm
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IRON AGE FARMING LAND USE Most of the land was under management across the south of Britain with very few areas left untouched. The land around each farm was under the plough and producing a large range of crops very efficiently. The outer field boundaries were either wattle fencing or live hedges. Where the cultivated area extended up the hillsides,over a period of time the soil in each field slipped down the slope, and at the lower boundary it created a terrace called a lynchet bank. Further out from the farm, the surrounding hills and open land was used to graze a variety of animals. The land alongside any rivers was used for meadows, hay making in the summer and water-meadow grazing in the winter. Any area of woodland within reach was used to produce the timber required by pollarding and coppicing.

CULTIVATION The fields were cultivated by either digging by hand, or ploughing using cattle as the motive power. All crops were sown by hand and then raked or harrowed to cover the seed.

GRAZING The open grasslands supported a wide range of animals, both domestic and wild. The domestic stock included cattle, sheep and goats, whilst the wild animals included deer, hares, birds and aurorch (a wild cattle).

WATER MEADOW Water meadows are low laying land around a river, creating a flood plain. During the summer when the land around the river was dry, the grass was cut to produce hay. This was used as winter feed for the animals. During the winter, the cattle could be grazed on it. The act of the river flooding also fertilised the land with silt from the river.

WOODLAND The trees in the woods were managed by pollarding and coppicing to maintain an output of timber. Pollarding is the removal of the branches from the top of the trunk of a tree and then allowing the tree to re-sprout. The tree can be pollarded every 15-20yrs and the timber produced can be used for the construction of buildings,fence posts, charcoal and firewood. Coppicing is a similar process, but the tree is cut close to the ground. The re-growth is harvested every 5-7yrs and the wood used for wattle fencing,hurdles, building construction and charcoal. Both of these methods enabled small areas of woodlands to produce a large and consistent output of timber over a long period of time.

OSIER BEDS An area of wet land can be planted with willow rods (cuttings) which root easily. The growth of willow can be cut every 1-2yrs and the withies produced, used for making baskets and fish-traps.
ARABLE CROPS A wide range of crops were cultivated for food, medicines and industrial uses.

CEREALS Several varieties of wheat were grown, and include; Emmer, Einkhorn, Rivet and Spelt. Wheat was grown for the production of bread, and the excess traded out for luxury goods. Oats were grown mainly for animal feed but were consumed by humans in the poorer areas. Rye is another grain used for baking as bread. Two varieties of barley were grown and one of them, a six-row barley, was used to make malt for the brewing of beer.

VEGETABLES Primitive varieties of the following vegetables were grown to supplement the diet; Peas, Beans Onions, Garlic, Carrots, and Cabbage.

DYE PLANTS The three principal plants that were grown for the production of colour dyes were; WOAD -Blue dye. Fermentation of the first years leaves extracts a dye of the indigo family. MADDER-Red dye. The roots of the five year old plant are crushed and boiled in water. WELD -Yellow dye. The whole plant can be boiled to extract the dye,

HERBS A wide range of herbs grew wild in Britain and the most useful were cultivated for two purposes, food and medicines. Herbs can be preserved in a variety of ways and can be stored for use all year round. Their use in preparation and flavouring of food is well documented in the ancient world, as is the use of herbs for medicinal properties.
LIVESTOCK We know from the archaeological evidence the size and shape of the animals from Iron Age sites. We can make comparisons with modern breeds to give an indication of the livestock farmed at that period.

CATTLE The nearest breeds that we have are the DEXTER and HIGHLAND cows. The cattle were used for motive power for pulling ploughs and carts, as well as for production of dairy goods and meat. Cattle were highly prized and represented a person's status and wealth.

SHEEP In the early Iron Age the sheep were small and hardy with a wool that was plucked off every year, very similar to the soay sheep of today. By the late period (pre Roman) larger sheep had been bred, with a longer wool that required shearing.

GOATS It is difficult to distinguish the difference between early sheep and goats, as the bones are similar. However, goats were kept for milk and meat, and can forage for food better than sheep.

PIGS A domesticated form of the wild boar was kept in the Iron Age. It was a hardy animal and was herded through the woods with great success.

DOGS A number of different dog types have been identified, from small terriers up to large wolfhounds.

BIRDS Assorted birds were kept, from hunting hawks, to chickens and geese.

HORSES One of the most important animals was the horse. They were highly prized and were used for riding and pulling war chariots. There was even a goddess (Epona) of the horse who appeared in human form.