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Faecal Sediments as Bio-Archives: The Fish Event Horizon in the Low Countries https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.116678 Rabinow, Sophie Collins, Matthew Mitchell, Piers This thesis addresses the ongoing uncertainties regarding change in fish exploitation in the Low Countries (present day Belgium and the Netherlands) during the medieval and Post-Medieval periods (AD 500 – 1900). In this thesis, I complete a systematic review of ichthyological remains and fish consumption proxies (carbon and nitrogen values isotope values and parasite eggs) for a comprehensive characterisation of change in fish exploitation and consumption in the Low Countries. The parasite review included data from 47 samples analysed within the context of this thesis for the cities of Aalst (n = 16), Antwerp (n = 3), Brugge (n = 2), Delft (n = 5), Dendermonde (n = 1), Leiden (n = 19), and Mechelen (n = 1) (AD 1000 – 1700). Archaeological fish remains are notoriously challenging to collect and identify, which can hinder ichthyological evaluations. In order to assess the potential of human faeces for specifying fish taxa compared to ichthyological macro-remains, I analysed sediment 13 samples (for the cities of Aalst [n = 3], Antwerp [n = 1], Brugge [n = 2], Dendermonde [n = 1], and Leiden [n = 8]) using a dual lipid and metagenomic approach. Ichthyological and isotopic review results support an increase in marine fish exploitation/ consumption and decrease in freshwater fish exploitation/ consumption starting around the second half of the 12th/ 13th century at both urban and elite sites. Diadromous fish exploitation remains consistent from the Early to the Post-Medieval period. Parasite data are insufficient to identify a culturally relevant diachronic trend, although results are consistent with freshwater fish having had low dietary significance during the Late and Post-Medieval periods. Lipid results supported the input of human faeces in 12 samples, based on FSAs and bile acids, and non-human faeces in one sample; faecal samples contained an expectational concentration of DNA which was effective in identifying/ specifying a number of ichthyological taxa and other foodstuffs, including three very rarely reported species: sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), worm pipefish (Nerophis lumbricoides) and zander (Sander lucioperca). Overall, however, DNA consistently underperformed in comparison to sieved ichthyological/ zooarchaeological datasets, despite “gold- standard” preservation conditions. The results from this thesis highlight the occurrence of a widespread, multi-national European event between AD 1000 and AD 1200 based on combined effects of culture, environment, and climate, justifying the application of Fish Event Horizon (FEH) terminology in the Low Countries. Such work carries important ramifications for characterising the timing and intensity of North Sea fish populations’ decline while underscoring the variability in responses by different taxonomic groups/ species to changing environmental conditions. These results are also significant for clarifying the breadth of (rare) species relevant to cultural contexts. Such considerations may be incorporated to improve paleo-aquatic reconstructions and model ecosystem responses to current environmental shifts. University of Cambridge 2024-10-20 Thesis Doctoral Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) eng Funding was provided by IPERION HS- European Research Infrastructure on Heritage Science; Mount Holyoke College (The Louise Fitz-Randolph Fellowship and Mary P. Dole Medical Fellowship); University of Cambridge Archaeology Department (Anthony Wilkin Fund, Fieldwork Fund); University of Cambridge Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic Department (H.M. Chadwick Fund Studentship and Scandinavian Studies Fund); Downing College, University of Cambridge (Bookbinder Travel Awards); and Newnham College, University of Cambridge (Kathleen Hughes Memorial Fund). https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/381531 embargo 2026-03-17 https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/9f6902ca-71e9-4f4e-b9a7-686e9607a554/download ea823e5ed59f4b7f5260188ce549b04d https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/2e547fe1-f93a-4e73-8674-7e030ef84d1b/download b89948e55f406160b0b8a3e9777b570e https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/410f80b0-c3a8-4cdd-8eb9-b165527f1ea6/download 7a6ac70392e1296d93991c0d64b95ea5 https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/525fca32-8877-442e-bcee-17fcc8dcc247/download 259b1a5944c011a084eea6551d702ab6 https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/4b8d29f8-12de-4e79-980b-30fb11e76deb/download a83c5653586cb7294e5dee67dfb46bdf https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/1de956b2-8d0d-4570-9809-3ce37df9e416/download b482fe49c240e84c73cc4c1437b15907 https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/aed99761-542f-43c5-92af-f155d985bad0/download 87eda9de84448d1f82354d60eee3eb5f http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved Faeces ichthyology historical ecology lipids metagenomics Medieval Middle Ages Belgium Netherlands