HIDES AND ANTLERS - NEW LOOK AT THE GATHERER-HUNTER SITE AT STAR CARR, NORTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

In an attempt to explain the lakeside situation of the well‐known gatherer‐hunter site at Star Carr, the finds from the excavations are reconsidered. It is suggested that the exposed area was a specialized industrial activity zone, where the working of deer antler and the processing of animal hides were carried out. The case is presented for the use of a fermenting bath of vegetable matter, in which the soaking, loosening, plumping of the fibre network and tannage of skins were carried out simultaneously. If this thesis is correct, Star Carr documents the oldest known case of this practice, implying a sophisticated practical experience of natural chemicals. In conclusion, the implications of this new interpretation are incorporated in a model of the economic schedule of the site’s inhabitants. © 1979 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.