In present times, participants from various regions of the UK and beyond gather in the West Country to partake in the vibrant atmosphere of Glastonbury festival. Interestingly, a similar phenomenon occurred at the end of the bronze age during a period of climatic and economic turmoil. Excavations at prehistoric waste sites in Wiltshire and the Thames Valley have revealed that over 2,000 years ago, individuals travelled long distances to participate in grand feasts.
Experts have found evidence indicating that bronze age people frequently transported large numbers of pigs and cattle hundreds of miles to meet at specific locations. No fewer than 15 million bone fragments have been found at these sites. Richard Madgwick, an archaeologist based at Cardiff University’s school of history, archaeology and religion, referred to this era as “the age of feasting.”
Madgwick posits that these gatherings served as ways to strengthen and consolidate relationships within and between communities during times of adversity. He suggested these events would have played a crucial role in fostering community unity amidst challenges. Excavations have indicated that each feasting site had its unique characteristics. The largest site, located near Devizes in Wiltshire, contained an abundance of pork, with pigs sourced from diverse regions such as Wales, Cornwall, and Devon, as well as parts of northern England.
Further east, Runnymede in Surrey served as another significant meeting point, where attendees favored beef, with cattle transported from Wales and Cornwall/Devon. At East Chisenbury, about 10 miles from Stonehenge, the predominant choice of meat seemed to be mutton, primarily sourced from the immediate surrounding areas.
During this difficult time, when the climate was becoming wetter and the value of bronze appeared to be decreasing, variations in reactions to these changes were observed among different communities. Madgwick suggests that the people of Potterne and Runnymede may have organized large gatherings and welcomed outsiders as a response, while the residents of East Chisenbury seemed more focused on utilizing their local resources.
For the study, the scientists employed multi-isotope analysis, a rapidly evolving method in archaeology that enables tracing the geographic origin of animals based on chemical markers present in their bones. Madgwick noted that the quantity of material at these sites was enormous, estimating “millions and millions of bone fragments, potentially hundreds of thousands of animals.”
The research findings are documented in the paper titled “Diverse feasting networks at the end of the Bronze Age in Britain (c. 900-500 BCE) evidenced by multi-isotope analysis,” published in the journal iScience.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/sep/10/people-gathered-for-great-meat-feasts-at-end-of-british-bronze-age-study-shows-animal-bones
