Om genstanden
5 l jord udtaget som vådprøve med henblik på makrofossilanalyse. Prøvemotivation: Indholdssammensætningen ønskes kortlagt med henblik på identifikation af de aktiviteter kulturlaget repræsenterer. Der ønskes en vurdering af om laget repræsenterer et latrin eller møddingslag.
Til Moesgård.
X5914 contains a high amount of organic material that is heavily fragmented and generally small in size. The botanical remains are dominated by seeds of Fragaria cf. vesca (mulig skov jordbær) and Rubus ideaus (hindbær). Small fragments of cereal bran are also found in high numbers. Agrostemma githago (klinte) and Centaurea cyanus/Centaurea sp. are two of the main species that have been fragmented.
The sample contains a few fruit remains of Myrica gale (mose-pors). This plant has been used for beer brewing, before Humulus lupulus (humle) became in use. Other economic plant species that have been found are Prunus domestica (blomme) and Malus sylvestris (skovæble). The remaining seeds are a combination of arable weeds and plants that are indicative of the natural environment.
In addition to the seeds, also fragments of moss and sphagnum, as well as small fish bones and various insect remains and insect pupae were found.
The composition of the sample (fragmented seeds, seeds from fruits, remains from economic plants, cereal bran) suggests that the sample has been derived from a latrine rather than a manure layer. Further analysis of the sample is recommended for a more detailed insight on the food economy, based on the finds from this latrine. It would be interesting to compare the contents of this latrine with the contents from X5422 and X5388. Whereas X5914 contains virtually equal amounts of Fragaria vesca (skov jordbær) and Rubus/Rubus ideaus (klinger/hindbær), X5422 contains predominantly Fragaria vesca and X5388 is dominated by Papaveraceae (valmue familien) and Rubus ideaus. An analysis could provide insights in the differences between these three latrine samples.
