Bournemouth University scientists reveal how the bones of 8000 frogs came to lie in a single ditch

• ITV Meridian's Sangeeta Bhabra has been speaking to Dr Paul Clarkson from Bournemouth University

It's a mystery that has been unsolved for nearly 2000 years - how did the bones of 8000 frogs come to lie in a single ditch?

The discovery was made during roadworks off the A14 in Cambridgeshire about ten years ago, between 2016 and 2018, leaving archeologists baffled.

Now scientists at the University of Bournemouth may have solved the 1700 year old cold case, and more importantly discovered who or what was behind the frog cemetery.

After seeing the discovery in the news, Dr Paul Clarkson at Bournemouth University contacted MOLA Senior Zooarchaeologist, Dr Vicki Ewens, with the aim of conducting further analysis into the case.

After comparing the damage to the frog bones to previous studies, Dr Clarkson found they had been eaten by birds of prey, with short-eared owls and hen harriers being the most likely suspects.

Archaeological evidence shows the ditch filled within a single year and therefore this still left the question of how so many bones appeared in such a short period of time.

By measuring the size of the frog humeri (arm bones) – a pioneering new method of analysis, scientists discovered most of the frogs died young, having been eaten in the winter of their first year of life.

“We don’t often get an owl’s eye view of what it was like in the past from archaeological sites,” said Dr Paul Clarkson of Bournemouth University who led the study.

“The mystery of these frogs has been solved - a feast of frogs that were eaten and their bones left behind by a group of owls.

"These bones not only tell us about life for people living near the Roman Fens, but they also give insights into the natural world - what wild animals were getting up to in the past, and what life was like for them,” he added.

“I had so many theories as to why such as large collection of frog bones were recovered from this small feature.

"It’s been great to collaborate with Paul to finally answer this question.

"This research shows how even the smallest animal recovered on a site can help us to understand not only past environmental conditions but human activity within a wider landscape.”

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