00:02.12 Alex Hello and welcome to episode 64 of archaeo animals. Cute animals galore woo yay huzzar or something like that. Yeah. 00:15.28 Cpt Granarius Much planned. 00:20.58 Alex A very low energy start too. What should be a very cute and fun episode I think hopefully um I'm your host out Fitzpatrick and with me as always. And yeah I guess to get right into it I mean because we have a lot to cover. 00:29.97 Cpt Granarius Sibonaalanga. 00:36.56 Alex Um, we spend so much of our time on the show talking about like weird animals and gross animals and dead animals mainly dead animals I Guess really fictional animals you know like but we don't. 00:49.10 Cpt Granarius Ah, but 98% dead animals really. 00:55.31 Alex Really get a chance to focus on the cutest animals on the planet. 00:58.60 Cpt Granarius Been because we've devoted entire episodes on you know some very cute animals. We've talked about cats. We've talked about dogs and rabbits. So like we have covered some very very cute animals over the last but over 5 years now yeah 01:13.32 Alex Yeah. 01:17.86 Cpt Granarius Um, I mean in a way like we we have a glanced upon sort of many cute animals both in the past and present. But we've not really had the time to actually sit down and properly discuss them so that brings us here and bringing together. You know two of your favorite things probably. Um, cute animals and case studies for like 1 episode of like cutest case studies of all time which is basically just going to be an hour of us going. Oh. 01:48.72 Alex Yeah, basically and you know like we said we have covered some cute animals in the past and we are going to use this episode to revisit some of the animals that we've kind of touched upon but we never really had a chance to kind of talk in a bit longer. Um, in a longer way because you know you can only do so many episodes that are themed about like a really broad thing before you can you know I don't know what I'm saying I'm already kind of ready to think about cute things you know, just get myself going. So yeah. We'll be talking about some? ah um, animals that we've talked about in the past and we'll try and mention where we've talked about them in the past so you can if you want to go back and listen to them although I realize I didn't write down any of the actual epso numbers. So you'll just have to you'll just have to Google it I guess. 02:46.82 Cpt Granarius Ah, guess you just have to listen to the entire catalog. 02:46.90 Alex But you yeah just gonna have to relisten folks sorry but you know but we'll also talk about a few new ones that I don't think we talked about although again as Simona said we've been doing this for over five years so it's really easy to not remember. So. 03:07.46 Cpt Granarius So um, what Well'll start it off with an animal though. We've definitely albeit very very briefly covered and it's the humble hedgehog eddinace river my latin is unformed tonight edinachi species. Of course yeah, a variety of species of hedgehogs. Ah, and I pretty sure we discussed them sort of in our so small creatures episode specifically talking about ah hedgehogs in the neolithic period. Um. 03:39.25 Alex Yeah, we talked about them I think the case study in particular was about neoliphic hedogs in Sweden and people measuring remains to kind of figure out. Where there's been connections between some of the islands like Gottland and Sweden in the past because obviously that's that's that's the only way really hatards will make it from the island to Mainland Sweden 04:07.39 Cpt Granarius Um, which is like the one angle that makes them interesting from an osteological point of view of course in ah in the case of ah Britain where which ah Alex and myself are most ah accustomed to we'll see that not particularly um, useful ah, should you. You can find them so usually left them so like ah and in environmental samples because the remains do tend to be quite small though. No are smaller some you know sort of the like smaller rodents and mice and rats. But nevertheless they were on the small side of life and yet that they've lived here for thousands of years and they live in in. Fields and and green areas and it's like oh here, a funk. Um, but a usefulness is that they are incredibly cute. 04:49.41 Alex Yeah, yes, you know I think even from talking about anything interesting about them anatomically like osologically they are you know it's what you expect from a skeleton I think. Really the most interesting thing to talk about when it comes to like anatomically is their spines which are hollow and they're made of carrotton you know the same material that's made that makes up your hair your nails all that kind of stuff and interestingly enough I don't know if I've told you this Simona but. Hedgehogs have moved into my yard this year very exciting I actually even bought like whole little habitat for them which they are not using obviously um, but yeah, no. 05:28.31 Cpt Granarius All. 05:41.82 Alex I've been leaving food out for them which is being eaten by our neighborhood cats obviously but other than that you know, very happy to be hosting hedgehogs. They're very cute. You can hear them snuffling around at night. It's very sweet makes me very catfy. 05:55.49 Cpt Granarius Ah, can I Sometimes depending on the time at year I can see them at dawn because I wake up quite early in the morning so you see them doing their last round of shopping so to speak as they head out of the garden and they'll check. 06:01.82 Alex Ah. 06:08.18 Cpt Granarius All the bits are on the race beds were normally so slugs would gather so they just doing their little rounds I mean there I say they like there is just the one male that's coming around at the minute that I can reliably see who I've called Plutarch whether likes it or not without that's too bad. It's called plutarch. 06:09.57 Alex How. 06:26.30 Cpt Granarius Um. 06:27.62 Alex Speaking about plutarch I guess we could talk about how you know ah hedgehogs have been in many cultures both past and present or talking about archeological uses of hedgehogs. Um. They have been used and are still often used as a food source and a medicinal resource. But ah perhaps more interesting from an archaeological perspective. They have a vast footprint in iconography particularly and this is ah I don't think we talked about this at all. But in later periods of ancient Egypt. You could actually find loads of hedgehog iconography which is something I actually really didn't know about I for some reason I've never even really seen Egyptian Hedgehog depictions but there's loads. So for some reason. They're depicted in tomb reliefs as little votive figures as amulance and perhaps most interestingly as figureheads for boats and not just like one boat. There are several boats I believe that have been found to have hedgehog figureheads. Amazing. 07:39.70 Cpt Granarius Cool. Um I mean like I take it because I just said that they're not awfully interesting from an zoo archeological standpoint they are it just that what was referring to from sort of a pale environmental reconstruction. 07:54.79 Cpt Granarius Ah, perspective in the case of Britain they're not terribly useful, but yes they have been used for substenance and ah that they're vastly used in in iconography in other parts of the world as well. Um. 08:04.93 Alex Yeah I mean there's a lot of cultural Symbolism Elements. You know it's associated with like protection for very obvious reasons but also rebirth. But yeah, no, it's um, one of those things that I think we don't. Really have even though we have hedgehogs in the Uk We don't really have like a big long cultural kind of connotation at least when it comes archeology which is a shame We should have hedgehog figureheads on boats. 08:34.30 Cpt Granarius To be fair like maybe like the ancient Egyptians just just find hedgehogs Cute I mean I'm sure you can buy hedgehog necklaces now. It's not necessarily an amulet or a voter figure be put just like hedgehogs they play with my super like. 08:46.36 Alex True, Very true. 08:51.65 Cpt Granarius Utilitarian like oh maybe they just thought it was cute which the truth probably lying in the middle that it's probably both because I could I can assure you There are some egyptians out there saying yep, that's cute I'm gonna go put it on my to because it's cute. 08:57.90 Alex Yeah. 09:05.62 Alex But yeah to keep the the cute train running I mean I think this animal is particularly cute and also a big meme nowadays I feel like the kids love copy bars. 09:23.67 Cpt Granarius And and just the fact that you so that you said the kids like just showed our age right there. Ah it it is a meme although probably on the older side of it but Kay barrus. 09:26.72 Alex The kids love it. Yeah well you know. 09:39.71 Cpt Granarius Um, idro coerrus idroqueris yeah, um, which if you've been following the memes in recent years they just love everything and everyone. 09:44.55 Alex Yeah, you go um your Latin could be worked out this episode but. 09:56.92 Alex Um, yes. 09:57.65 Cpt Granarius They just they go with everything. Do you put them somewhere. They'll make friends with everyone around them and then just sit there and look peaceful. 10:04.28 Alex Makes me so happy I've seen so many iterations of it then with like cats them with like dogs them with like sheep I mean it's great. 10:18.87 Cpt Granarius Now it's it's great I wish it could like channel my in a cappabara more often. But I'm just a Fox with anxiety instead. Um we should be. We should all be like the Capi Barra um for those who have not heard ah of the capibara. 10:27.91 Alex Um. 10:36.43 Cpt Granarius Ah, police come out from under your rock any minute now. Um, but also no, it's seriously though it's it's the largest living rodent species and it has been used as a food source in many parts of South America and that sort of is reflected in the. Archeological record because let you do see that evidence of it being used for substenance in archeological context as well. Um, now. Um, non aeological qui related at all. Do. Do you want to go for it. Alex yeah. 11:05.30 Alex So no, yeah because I was like you know I will omit that some of these cute animals. We talk about had some very tenuous archaeological because a lot of the animals will be talking about a lot of them really don't have anything. You know particularly I don't want to say interesting but like a lot of them are kind of going to be when we talk about them archeologically we're kind of just talking about you know, natural deposits and paleoenvironmental applications of their remains. So I was trying to see something interesting with copy powers. And this is what I found interesting and it has nothing to do with archaeology. But there's been some research undertaken on whether or not ah onsen which are the japanese hot springs and if you look up pitches of copy bars. You'll find loads of photos of them hanging out and these onsen are good for them and spoil alert. They are really good for them. And I wanted an excuse to share a photo of them just chilling with Simona which I put in the show notes so she can look at it I know I love those pictures so much because it's like I will never feel that kind of peace in my life. My brain's too broken. 12:06.94 Cpt Granarius All. 12:16.92 Cpt Granarius Um, but for a slightly quick tangent. Um, also a quick tangent you said about like many of these animals. There's not a lot going for them from a zoo archeological standpoint. But in a way are we writing the zoo archeologies of these co animals. Of course they wouldn't be used substance. They'll just be used for for means and education and podcast recorded so you find evidence of the capibara in this podcast from a hundred and fifty years ago 12:38.48 Alex Yes, tro you know what's this. This is why you're my co-host I need this, you have the Analytical Brain. That's really useful for this thing I Just want to talk about cute animals I didn't really want to really make up a real reason for it. 12:58.56 Cpt Granarius Yeah, but so philosophical like I went to youi for many years for this. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk. Um, um, okay, moving very swiftly on onto some actual science. 13:15.90 Cpt Granarius Um. 13:16.49 Alex Yeah, well you know again, it's like another cute animal come on. It's one that we've talked about though the so a sheep which is just overassaes is Yay I did it? Yes, very commonly useful. 13:30.77 Cpt Granarius Yay Alex is latin. 13:36.60 Alex Word for us. Um, so yeah, we actually have discussed this one in our primitive breeds episode just a real quick kind of recap of what the soy sheep are they can be traced back to a fere population from the island of soy in the St Kilda archipelago 13:52.38 Alex They remained physically quite close to what ancient sheep likely looked like and you know they've been really useful in helping archeologists kind of further understand early sheep human relations potentially may have been brought from St Kilda to England. By noted archaeologists and all around bad guy Augustus Pitt Rivers who may have also been one of the first people to recognize their usefulness in archaeologylogy. 14:22.17 Cpt Granarius And now with the sowy sheep. Actually if I remember correctly they present the characteristic that a lot of the modern sheep Breeds don't have um as in day will shed. 14:26.85 Alex In it. Yes I Believe so. 14:34.50 Cpt Granarius They will shed so if you need to share them or actually harvest an amount of sort of the wool you have to literally pluck them which you get you tend to get with a of the basal breeds um of sheep of which the sowie is one um because of course as we ah practice more artificial selections of sheep for well. 14:41.18 Alex Are. 14:53.95 Cpt Granarius Our own benefit. We've ah sort of put that extra control onto our hands where like we would have to physically go and share them so we would acquire all of the resource all at once. So its just something we have bred into them together extra bit of control. 15:07.45 Alex Yeah, so so is sheep are kind of considered to be maybe and this is probably a bit simplified but some archeologists consider them to be kind of what you know. Bronze ape sheep would eventually be like and these for the most part in the North Atlantic they were more or less replaced by arnade sheep which are closer to like the Hebri Dean Sheep however obviously in The Island of Soe they've remained. As they are and it's good for us because it's just helpful in kind of thinking about how ancient sheet breeds would have been and how they would have looked like and yeah and they're cute. They're very cute speaking of. 15:59.64 Cpt Granarius Keeping it on the domestic a train another cute ah Underut that is ah the highland cow you you want to do the latin for this. 16:00.69 Alex Yes. 16:09.29 Alex Bos Taris A is specifically a scottish breed of cattle and I even wrote down the Scottish Gaelic and I even wrote down the pronunciation and I still don't feel confident in saying it. 16:25.60 Cpt Granarius Right? I'll give it a go I'll give it a girl um bow gay allow probably um, yeah if you're scottish sorry I want. 16:27.11 Alex Yes I think that's right apologies in advance. Yeah sorry I mean realistically if you're scottish and you've been listening to this podcast like real sorry for me it. 16:40.35 Cpt Granarius Yeah. 16:47.50 Cpt Granarius Um, but I mean there's some dispute over their actual origins were whether they were originally bred in Scotland or they were imported sort of via the vikings aka scandinavian seafaring peoples. Ah, whether they were bred from 2 particular breeds of cattle. It is unknown the jury's still out probably a combination of all these things let's face it? Um, but they weren't a recognized breed until the late 18 hundreds in Scotland archeologically. However, besides them being incredibly cute and probably still looking cute back then. Not an awful lot. We can say about them because as you may know if you've been listening along to the show. You can't really the fair in sha between breathes because so underneath that they all look the same oseologically speaking like. 17:32.33 Alex Unless yeah, unless we're talking about like dog or cat modern day dog or cat breeds which obviously osteologically they can be extremely different for the most part particularly when we're talking about sheep and cattle breeds. It's pretty difficult I think there's probably some morphological differences but you'd have to be yeah. 17:53.75 Cpt Granarius But then also like apply the same that goes for cats and dogs applies to others like a more far removed into the past as well. Because even though they would have had breeds of safe dogs back then. 18:01.54 Alex Yeah. 18:09.31 Cpt Granarius They would be nothing or not necessarily anything like the breeds that we have now so you wouldn't be able oh is this Roman Doberman it's that's not how it works I mean based on the um to the osteology. Ah you can maybe get an idea sort of what the function of the dog. 18:20.40 Alex Oh. 18:26.69 Cpt Granarius Was or whether he was it more of a sight hound looking dog but that's probably as far as it goes tangent over. 18:32.61 Alex So yeah, we can't really differentiate between breeds so there's not much we can really say about this archeologically I just think they're cute so they're they're very cute, very fluffy I'm actually really sad I've never seen one in person even though I work in Scotland a lot. 18:40.19 Cpt Granarius The very cute, very fluffy. 18:51.88 Cpt Granarius Tell you I don't think I have. 18:51.91 Alex Which is a bummer. Yeah, what the heck we should go. We should go specifically to find a Highland cow and bring it back with us and you can take it like for the first six months of the year and I'll take it for like the second six months of the year 19:08.36 Cpt Granarius Oh yeah, well have we have this pastoral thing going. So when I've got this sort of in in the south during the winter month but that I walk it up the Yorkshire Dales 19:11.37 Alex Yeah, and then you'll you walk it up. Ah all right? Well while we figure out the logistics of this plan I think we should take a break and we'll be back with more cute animals. Did you just. 19:22.86 Cpt Granarius Yes. 19:25.83 archpodnet I.