Monument record MWX5234 - Furzey Island: middle Iron Age shell midden

A small marine shell midden was found on the north shore of Furzey Island dating to the middle Iron Age. Seived samples from this deposit contained fragments representing at least 1859 cockle shell valves but no other species. Environmental samples taken from the late Iron Age settlement at Ower Peninsula provided greatly comminuted remains of at least 3172 cockle valves, 10 winkles, 107 carpet shells and a few fragments of mussel and oyster shell. The fact that cockles were the only marine mollusc species recovered from Furzey suggests that either they were the only species available at this location in the middle Iron Age or that they were systematically collected. (1)

<1> Cox, P W, and Hearne, C M, 1991, Redeemed from the Heath: the Archaeology of the Wytch Farm Oilfield 1987-1990, p.212 (Monograph). SWX2893.

Record last edited

May 21 2004 1:49PM