Dig Into History – April 2019

made with these grains was then flavored by
adding poppy seeds, celery seeds, and seeds of the
flax plant.
Vegetables and fruits also made it into the
Anglo-Saxon diet. Vegetables were not commonly
found in the deposits at Coppergate, although
remains of peas, field beans, carrots, and parsnips
were uncovered. Fruit was much more prevalent
and included mainly sloes, with some plums,
cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and apples. The
shells of both hazelnuts and walnuts were also
present.
The fruits most likely would have been very
sour, especially the sloes. The popularity of these
tart fruits may seem strange to us today. However,
we need to remember that the tastes of the Anglo-
Saxons probably differed greatly from those of
today, which are heavily influenced by a sugar-
rich diet.

Meet Corncockle
One insight into the level of health among the
inhabitants of Coppergate comes from the
abundance of a plant called corncockle. Its seeds
were found mixed with both grains and flour. The
seeds are poisonous to humans and would have
caused stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea, or
constipation. However, corncockle may have had
some beneficial side-effects. It may have acted as

Sloes is a fruit similar in shape to a small plum and
known for its very sour taste and often used in jams.

an agent that destroyed or expelled parasitic

worms. It may be that the inhabitants of

Coppergate used corncockle to combat stomach

parasites that were plentiful and widespread.

With few exceptions, there was no cereal

chaff uncovered. These dry, scaly, protective

casings on cereal grain seeds are what must be

removed before the seeds can be eaten. Their

absence has been noted at other medieval

urban archaeological sites as well. This fact

suggests that the grain was separated from the

chaff and maybe even milled into flour

before coming to Coppergate. It is very likely

that the urban center of

Coppergate

received its grain

from farms

located in the

rural

countryside. If

so, then this

means that th

was, at the tim

system of int

and trade.

Rachel Brodyis

candidate in histor

College, where she

the Norman

conquest and

Anglo-Norman

Ireland.

her

me

erchange

saPh.D.

ryat Boston

e studies

n

re

e,a

h

Hi, everyone!

What a great

article! I can’t wait

to visit one of the

reconstructed sites. I

will plan to go on a day

when they’re serving

some of their

“goodies”!

39

Looks like a typical farm setting, right?

But it is actually a section of a

reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village in

southeastern England.