In view and under foot: the hidden story of fallow deer, knuckle-bone floors and British estates

Abstract

SUMMARY: The chance discovery of an 18th-century knuckle-bone floor at the National Trust property of Belton House in Lincolnshire prompted a review of all known post-medieval knuckle-bone floors in Britain to examine their date, context of creation and species composition. The identification of fallow deer bones within the Belton floor became the focus of genetic analysis to examine the relationship between ancient and modern deer from the estate and how these deer related to other medieval/post-medieval populations. This paper argues that both fallow deer and knuckle-bone floors were important elements of post-medieval estate landscapes and that more could be done to present their significance to the public.