Fish for London

Abstract

Previous synthesis of zooarchaeological remains from English medieval sites has shown that marine fish consumption increased, from a very low baseline, around ad 1000, a phenomenon dubbed the fish event horizon (FEH) by Barrett et al. (2004a). This change appears initially to have been linked primarily to urban sites, with widespread marine fish consumption at inland rural settlements argued to be a slightly later development (Barrett et al. 2004b; but see also Chapter 17 regarding near-coastal elite settlements). That early towns and cities led the way in the expansion of marine resource use is perhaps unsurprising, given that urban settlements almost by de nition involve a concentration of food consumers rather than producers and hence require a signi cant hinterland to meet demand. Turning to marine resources is one way to expand this resource base.