Pigs, pits and persistent places during the Irish Mesolithic

Based on the results of strontium, oxygen and sulphur isotopes it is argued that wild boar were generally hunted in the local environments of settlements, at locations known by hunter-gatherers through everyday engagements. It is also clear that individuals were sometimes hunted at greater distances from sites (>10km), perhaps as part of regular journeys for foraging, resource collection or exploration. Consistently higher nitrogen isotope values indicate that the Neolithic Sus included in this study had a greater contribution of animal- derived protein in their diets, suggesting the possible human-mediated addition of food to Sus diets.

Variations in strontium, oxygen and sulphur isotopes have been interpreted as indicating that a free- range approach was used to manage Early Neolithic Sus populations. The revisiting of the Mount Sandel excavation archive has permitted the examination of the role of Mesolithic pits and the processes involved in pit-digging and pit-filling. The database approach has led to new interpretations of how the pits were used, based on shared characteristics and patterns, rather than investigating single pits in isolation.

Specific categories of fill have been identified and have been interpreted as evidence for an organised system of waste disposal, involving material originating from different site activities. Together, the investigation of wild boar hunting and pit-digging has contributed to detailed accounts of Mesolithic use of the physical world. The two scales of analysis, the landscape and site scale, inform discussions regarding the significance of place, and how places become persistent.<br><br>