Assessment of biological remains recovered from samples from an earthwork in Wray Wood, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire

Summary Two sediment samples from deposits encountered during excavations of an earthwork in Wray Wood, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, were submitted to PRS for an investigation of their content of biological remains. Soil samples were taken from the fills of a ‘comma-shaped’ feature excavated during the 2004 phase of the works. It was thought that this could be a medieval ‘sheepwash’ being similar in form to such features located at sites in the Cotswolds. The material examined clearly demonstrated the presence of significant assemblages of well-preserved plant, insect and other invertebrate remains in waterlogged deposits filling the earthwork. Preservation of the remains was excellent and the assemblages indicated a body of clear and still, rather shaded (though the canopy was not so dense as to prevent an undergrowth of shrubs), freshwater. Since it has been suggested that the feature may have functioned as a ‘sheepwash’, a particular focus of the investigations was to see whether the fill contained ectoparasites of sheep. None were identified, though this does not rule out the possibility that this feature was a ‘sheepwash’—while in use, it would most likely have been kept relatively clear of silt and debris, with the fills accumulating once it was no longer being utilised. Further analysis of the remains would provide detailed environmental information. The excellent preservation of the plant and invertebrate remains, together with the rarity of the type of feature studied, make a strong case for the full analysis of these assemblages and subsequent publication of the results.