A General Report of Underground Grain Storage Experiments at the Butser Ancient Farm Research Project

Author(s): Peter J Reynolds

Year: 1979

Summary

The purpose of this paper is to explain briefly the range of research, both past and current being conducted into the problem of understanding the prehistoric practice of storing grain in underground pits. The specific period in question is the British Iron Age, c. 150 B.C. - 43 A.D. The archaeological and documentary evidence suggests that some of the ubiquitous pits discovered on native lron Age sites on the majority of the subsoil types in England were used for the bulk storage of grain. Experiments mounted to test this hypothesis have shown that it is a possible and, indeed, a successful method of bulk grain storage. Results also show that, even in the apparent hostile climate of Britain, grain stored in this manner retains a high level of germinability. The research programme includes the comparative testing of different types of pit lining and pit shape, employing the germination and mycological tests of the stored product and attending lining to determine success ratios. Finally, the research programme is aiming to provide direct evidence from the experimental pits for the determination of the function of archaeological pits.

This paper is concluded with a brief description of the Butser Ancient Farm Research Project, the range of its programme, its philosophy and achievements to date.

Cite this Record

A General Report of Underground Grain Storage Experiments at the Butser Ancient Farm Research Project. Peter J Reynolds. Les Techniques de Conservation des Grains a Long Terme. 1: 70-88. 1979 ( tDAR id: 414463) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8414463

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Material
Macrobotanical

Site Type
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Bioarchaeological Research • Historic Background Research

General
Agriculture • Experimental Archeology

Geographic Keywords
England • Northern Ireland (State / Territory) • Scotland • Wales

Temporal Keywords
Iron Age • Iron Age Britain • Pre-Roman Iron Age

Spatial Coverage

min long: -11.162; min lat: 50.036 ; max long: 1.714; max lat: 56.414 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): EXARC Experimental Archaeology Collection Manager

Record Identifiers

ExArc Id(s): 712

Notes

Rights & Attribution: Christine Shaw contributed a copy of this document to the collection. EXARC thanks her for her dedication to preserving the Butser Ancient Farm Archive.

General Note: More information about the Butser Ancient Farm Archive and this document can be found at butser.org.uk.

File Information

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Gen-Rep-Underground-Grain-Storage.pdf 2.23mb Oct 7, 2017 7:12:01 AM Public