Vertebrate Faunal Remains

Beginning in 1992 when test excavations were initiated on the Emanuel Point Ship, faunal remains were collected from all test and excavation units. All samples were collected either directly from the excavation units or from a 1/4-inch screen situated at the outflow of a water-induction dredge. Testing with floatation procedures and smaller mesh-screen sorting of bilge sediments provided no substantial increase in recovery over the 1/4-inch screen. Preservation of faunal materials was generally very good, perhaps because of effluents (silts and tannin) from a nearby bayou and the general compactness of the overlying sand, ballast pile, and built up mound of oyster shells. Materials were recovered from both within and without the surviving ship structure.

All obvious rodent materials were sent to Dr. Philip L. Armitage, Sanibel Island, Florida for identification and analysis. Non-rodent faunal specimens were examined by Barry W. Baker and Anna Lee Presley, Physical Anthropology Department, Texas A&M University. Identification of the remains was aided by the Zooarchaeological Research Collection, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University and Dr. Philip L. Armitage’s personal collection of rat skeletons (British and North American). One fish vertebra was also identified in materials sent for botanical identification (Newsom 1995:4). Analysis of the vertebrate material was accomplished using standard zooarchaeological procedures. Specimens were identified as precisely as possible based on structural features, animal biogeography, and the temporal setting of the site (Baker 1995:1). Information such as sex, age criteria, age, and taphonomic processes (burning, cut marks, rodent gnawing, and breakage) (Presley 1995:1) was noted for all materials along with limited morphometric data.

A total of 339 complete or fragmented bones and teeth were identified from this phase of excavation at the Emanuel Point Ship. Faunal specimens collected from the ship’s bilge appear to represent deposits of discarded bones from shipboard provisions, as well as the remains of organisms that died in or near the ship. These specimens include the bones of domestic pig, cow, even-toed ungulates (e.g., sheep and goat) and chicken, which were undoubtedly used as food aboard the ship. Fragments of various fish are present in the faunal assemblage, however they are believed to be intrusive, having been deposited after the ship ran aground. Similarly, a beak fragment from a shore bird (sandpiper family) may have found its own way aboard the ship. The largest collection of faunal remains is that of stowaway rats who both bred and died in the ship during its career at sea. No bone artifacts were found (Presley, 1995:1).

At least 10 taxa are represented in the assemblage, reflecting 4 vertebrate classes. These classes include: Elasmobranchiomorphi (sharks), Osteichthyes (bony fishes), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (mammals).

Taphonomy

The scientific excavation of shipwrecks is a relatively new science, therefore, little taphonomic research has been conducted on vertebrate assemblages from submerged sites (Baker 1995:1). The sample from Emanuel Point does allow for several taphonomic observations. In general, the sample is well preserved with little degradation apart from a few specimens which exhibit abrasion (Baker 1995). Slight exfoliation was expected and is typical of artifacts requiring extensive dehydration and soaking to remove water and salts.

Several specimens were stained brown, presumably from marine sediments, and in a few cases required cleaning with a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide. Other specimens exhibited a light bluish-gray discoloration sometimes associated with burning (Baker 1995:1-2; Shipman et al. 1984). Only one specimen (00,084.2) was clearly identified as burned because of its charred black color. Reitz and Scarry (1985:85) suggest that if cut bones are found unburned they were probably prepared by boiling.

Six specimens exhibited cut marks. Of these, five were from mammals. One specimen, a domestic Pig (Sus scrofa) humerus, was completely sawed through. The other specimens appear to have been cut with a metal knife. Seven specimens exhibited rodent gnawing.

Sixty-eight of the bones present show some type of breakage. The majority of broken elements exhibit angular fractures. Angular fractures occur after the bone has dried. Sixteen of the specimens have spiral fractures. This type of fracture suggests that they were broken while they retained a relatively high degree of collagen, in other words, they were still fresh.

Subsistence Information

Though the non-rodent sample size is small (n=135), a few subsistence observations can be made. Taxa apparently serving as food sources include domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) (n=8), cow (cf. Bos taurus) (n=8), domestic pig (Sus scrofa) (n=6). The chicken coracoid shows a transverse cut mark on its shaft. Two additional large bird elements may also represent chicken, and the majority of the mammal bones are very likely cow (Baker 1995:2). In fact, the presence of vertebrae and vertebral ends of left ribs of a sub-adult cow appear to represent a rib cut from a left side of beef similar to specimens illustrated by Lyman (1977:70; Fig. 7j). None of these specimens are sawed, though many show green bone fractures that may have resulted from butchering. Pig bones exhibit cut marks and spiral fractures characteristic of food remains (Presley 1995:2).

Undoubtedly, many of the other specimens are probably food items as well, but a medium-sized mammal (dog-sized) rib remains difficult to interpret. A sub-adult goat-sized artiodactyl metapodial is also present in the sample. Baker (1995:2) believes that the majority of the mammal remains are representative of sub-adult individuals.

Fig. 45. Animal bones, some with butcher marks, indicate food sources available on the ship. Left are cow, right top upper two are chicken, and lower two are pig.

The non-fish specimens represented in this assemblage, with exception of the Scolopacid element, can be safely described as food remains. Further, specimens within these taxa also exhibit rodent gnawing; thus, these specimens must have been available for the stowaway rats to gnaw.

In contrast, none of the fish elements exhibit cut marks, spiral fractures, or rodent gnawing. The majority of these remains show very little degradation and most appear very recent suggesting that they are intrusive (Baker 1995:2; Presley 1995:1). The remaining bird and mammal remains, in contrast, appear associated with the ship. The identifiable taxa present in this assemblage can all be found in the Gulf of Mexico (Presley 1995:2; Briggs 1958). This is not to say that the crew or passengers on the vessel did not eat fish, only that clearly defined food remains could not be identified among the fish elements.

Black Rats and House Mice

A total of 206 bone specimens were recognized as black rat (Rattus rattus) and two small tibiae were identified as belonging to the common house mouse (Mus musculus L.). Table VII. provides a summary of the identified bones.

Fig. 46. Analysis of these rat bones has revealed population size and makeup, evidence of cannibalism, and abnormal skeletal pathology.

Like the other faunal material, preservation of the rodent material is very good, though certain of the more fragile specimens (crania and vertebral spinous processes) have suffered some damage in antiquity (Armitage 1995a:2). Identification of rodent specimens was undertaken using Dr. Armitage’s modern comparative collections of rat skeletons (British and North American) and those of The Natural History Museum in London, England and Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton, East Sussex, England. Determination of species was based on three primary diagnostic criteria: appearance of the temporal ridges of the neurocranium, mandibular diastema shape, and anatomical features of postcranial elements (Armitage 1995a:5).

Osteological Analysis

Based on the stages of epiphyseal fusion as seen in the humerus, innominate, femur, and tibia specimens, a range of age classes was recognized: newborn, very young, young, young/subadult, subadult/adult, and indeterminate. A MNI (minimum number of individuals) count of 21 was calculated from the totals of unpaired and paired skeletal elements (Armitage 1995a:6,23). Sex was distinguished by
morphological criteria of innominate bones and by comparison with modern specimens of known gender. Two males and a female were identified.

Fig. 47. Drawing of rat skeleton showing outlines of bones recovered.

Oral Pathology

Analysis of mandible and maxilla specimens revealed ancient evidence of moderate to severe abscesses and infections in the rat population (Armitage 1995a:19). In several specimens the teeth had fallen out partially or entirely due to the loosening of their roots from swelling of the alveoli (teeth sockets). Whether their actual loss took place antemortem or postmortem (postdeposition) can not be determined.

Rickets

Fig. 48. Black rat tibiae. Healthy, modern specimen (right), compared with specimen (00,401.2) from the Emanuel Point Ship (left) showing pathological changes suggestive of rickets. Both are immature specimens. Drawings by Kate Armitage.

During the examination of the rodent material, it was noticed that six limb bones, “all from very young (immature) rats, are noticeably stunted (i.e., abnormally shortened) and have a distinctive, abnormally “flaring”or ”cup-like” outgrowth of the end of the shaft; either proximally or distally, depending on the type of skeletal element involved (Armitage 1995a:20).” These pathological changes are typically associated with rickets, as discussed by Baker and Brothwell (1980:49).

Cannibalism

One black rat tibia exhibited numerous shallow grooves over its surface. According to Armitage (1995a:23), these depressions were made by rodent incisor teeth indicating that the specimen had been gnawed by another rat or rats. Similar markings were found also found on the non-rodent faunal material (see above).

House Mice

Two left tibiae of the house mouse were found intermixed among the other faunal material. Mus musculus L., or more properly, Mus domesticus, is the European house mouse (Armitage 1995b:1; Berry 1981:92).

Fig. 49. Unexpected, considering the large population of rats on board, two left mouse tibiae were found intermixed with other rodent remains.

Armitage considered “the finding of two or more mice” aboard the ship as “unexpected” considering the large black rat population (Armitage 1995b:1). According to Berry (1981: 93, 111 &113), “mice are certainly predated by rats . . . and “infestation [of buildings, and presumably ships] by rats keeps down mouse numbers to some extent, but situations where rats can live usually provide conditions for a large population of mice.”

Discussion

“As contemporary sources reveal, rats were commonplace on European sailing ships voyaging to the New World in the 16th and later centuries. In modest numbers these vermin were merely a nuisance to mariners; the greatest damage done by them on ships resulted from the gnawing into the casks of stored foodstuffs and contaminating the contents within with their urine and feces. Under exceptional circumstances, however, their depredations of the ship’s provisions could represent a very real danger to the well-being and even survival of the crew and passengers” (Armitage 1995a:23). A rat plague besieged the returning Spanish Indies fleet of 1622 and on one vessel alone several thousand rats were caught and killed both in port and during the voyage (Phillips 1986:157).

An analysis of rat remains from the Emanuel Point ship has identified all the specimens aboard as the species, Rattus rattus, commonly known as the black rat. As for the population size of the rats on board, several factors make an accurate estimate impossible.

Bone remains found at the wrecksite account for a minimum of 21 individuals, probably far fewer than the total population prior to the vessel’s sinking. It seems most likely that many of the rodents would have tried to swim to shore at the time of sinking, some perhaps drowning at the site. However, the remains found at the site should not be assumed to have perished at the time of sinking.

Previous studies have shown that ships typically supported a population of animals that spent their entire lives aboard, from birth to death—meaning that some of the remains could have been the result of natural mortality perhaps preceding the time of the ship’s demise. Others might have been merely unlucky passengers taken aboard with provisions.

“Analysis does reveal, however, that there must have been a well-established, core rodent-population on the ship, as evidenced by the presence of very young, subadult, and mature individuals, and both males and females” (Armitage 1995a:24). Confinement in the “dark recesses of the ship’s hull, away from the sunlight, and with a restricted diet (probably lacking in certain minerals and vitamins essential for normal metabolism/growth) clearly took its toll on some of these rats, especially the immature individuals, as evidenced by the limb bones afflicted by rickets, and by the poor dental health of some of the older individuals.”

Oral Pathology

Analysis of mandible and maxilla specimens revealed ancient evidence of moderate to severe abscesses and infections in the rat population (Armitage 1995a:19). In several specimens the teeth had fallen out partially or entirely due to the loosening of their roots from swelling of the alveoli (teeth sockets). Whether their actual loss took place antemortem or postmortem (postdeposition) can not be determined.

Rickets

Fig. 48. Black rat tibiae. Healthy, modern specimen (right), compared with specimen (00,401.2) from the Emanuel Point Ship (left) showing pathological changes suggestive of rickets. Both are immature specimens. Drawings by Kate Armitage.

During the examination of the rodent material, it was noticed that six limb bones, “all from very young (immature) rats, are noticeably stunted (i.e., abnormally shortened) and have a distinctive, abnormally “flaring”or ”cup-like” outgrowth of the end of the shaft; either proximally or distally, depending on the type of skeletal element involved (Armitage 1995a:20).” These pathological changes are typically associated with rickets, as discussed by Baker and Brothwell (1980:49).

Cannibalism

One black rat tibia exhibited numerous shallow grooves over its surface. According to Armitage (1995a:23), these depressions were made by rodent incisor teeth indicating that the specimen had been gnawed by another rat or rats. Similar markings were found also found on the non-rodent faunal material (see above).

House Mice

Two left tibiae of the house mouse were found intermixed among the other faunal material. Mus musculus L., or more properly, Mus domesticus, is the European house mouse (Armitage 1995b:1; Berry 1981:92).

Fig. 49. Unexpected, considering the large population of rats on board, two left mouse tibiae were found intermixed with other rodent remains.

Armitage considered “the finding of two or more mice” aboard the ship as “unexpected” considering the large black rat population (Armitage 1995b:1). According to Berry (1981: 93, 111 &113), “mice are certainly predated by rats . . . and “infestation [of buildings, and presumably ships] by rats keeps down mouse numbers to some extent, but situations where rats can live usually provide conditions for a large population of mice.”

Discussion

“As contemporary sources reveal, rats were commonplace on European sailing ships voyaging to the New World in the 16th and later centuries. In modest numbers these vermin were merely a nuisance to mariners; the greatest damage done by them on ships resulted from the gnawing into the casks of stored foodstuffs and contaminating the contents within with their urine and feces. Under exceptional circumstances, however, their depredations of the ship’s provisions could represent a very real danger to the well-being and even survival of the crew and passengers” (Armitage 1995a:23). A rat plague besieged the returning Spanish Indies fleet of 1622 and on one vessel alone several thousand rats were caught and killed both in port and during the voyage (Phillips 1986:157).

An analysis of rat remains from the Emanuel Point ship has identified all the specimens aboard as the species, Rattus rattus, commonly known as the black rat. As for the population size of the rats on board, several factors make an accurate estimate impossible.

Bone remains found at the wrecksite account for a minimum of 21 individuals, probably far fewer than the total population prior to the vessel’s sinking. It seems most likely that many of the rodents would have tried to swim to shore at the time of sinking, some perhaps drowning at the site. However, the remains found at the site should not be assumed to have perished at the time of sinking.

Previous studies have shown that ships typically supported a population of animals that spent their entire lives aboard, from birth to death—meaning that some of the remains could have been the result of natural mortality perhaps preceding the time of the ship’s demise. Others might have been merely unlucky passengers taken aboard with provisions.

“Analysis does reveal, however, that there must have been a well-established, core rodent-population on the ship, as evidenced by the presence of very young, subadult, and mature individuals, and both males and females” (Armitage 1995a:24). Confinement in the “dark recesses of the ship’s hull, away from the sunlight, and with a restricted diet (probably lacking in certain minerals and vitamins essential for normal metabolism/growth) clearly took its toll on some of these rats, especially the immature individuals, as evidenced by the limb bones afflicted by rickets, and by the poor dental health of some of the older individuals.”