Global Characteristics

Title:

Caudal vertebra of a cetacea

Place of discovery:

Mardyck, Hauts-de-France, France

Date:

Early Middle Ages (9th-10th century)

Dimensions:

10cm height, 20cm diameter

Materials:

Cetacean bone

Description

During the Early Middle Ages, the inhabitants of the Dunkirk area intensively exploited marine ressources. Cetacean bones bearing butchery marks have been discovered in archaeological contexts.

They attest to the hunting and exploitation of these animals for meat, oil production, and the manufacture of objects from the 9th century onwards.

Fishing became organised and diversified, as attested by the numerous fish bones, hooks, and fishing weights recovered from archaeological sites.

The growth of towns, religious practices, and the increasing demand for fish made coastal areas major economic centers in the Middle Ages.

© Mathieu Lançon, Inrap