Red deer (Cervus elephus) bone fragment. Found at Morton Mesolithic Settlement, Fife

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Bone fragment, red deer
Cervus elephus

Field collection: Mesolithic Morton excavation, Tayport. Fife
Collected by Dr John Coles

Donated by Mr GC Sim
Museum number 1976-891

Red deer were enormously important in the Mesolithic. Every part of the animal was used. The meat from one deer could feed five people for two weeks.

In the more heavily wooded landscape of the Mesolithic, red deer were larger than their modern descendants who live in a much poorer environment.