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Full Description
Since their introduction to the British Isles after the Norman Conquest, rabbits have successfully colonised the English landscape. Yet the species was not initially wild but was instead reared within manmade warrens for its meat and fur in a form of animal husbandry that was surprisingly widespread and long-lived.
Historical and archaeological approaches allow the spread of rabbits to be traced as more and more English locales hosted those warrens, the physical remains of which are still numerous across the country. This book provides a history and a comprehensive investigation of the types of structures associated with rabbit farming and details how warrens were managed, both on a day-to-day basis and in terms of how they were placed within the landscape.
In contrast to their eventual fate as food for the poor, rabbits were initially bred for the wealthy few and it follows that rabbits would have been viewed differently by past societies. Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, this volume explores the species' historic status and discusses associations with conspicuous displays of wealth, Christian symbolism, and female sexuality. It also investigates the extent to which rabbits were simply viewed as destructive pests or as providing opportunities for poaching.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 - The Rabbit in England up to 1549
Chapter 2 - Rabbit Warrens in Early Modern England: 1550 to the Twentieth Century
Chapter 3 - The Physical Remains of Rabbit Warrens: Pillow Mounds
Chapter 4 - The Physical Remains of Rabbit Warrens: Boundaries, Lodges and Traps
Chapter 5 - The Management of Historic Warrens
Chapter 6 - The Positioning of Pillow Mounds and Warrens Within the Landscape
Chapter 7 - Rabbits and Rabbit Warrens as Status Symbols
Chapter 8 - The Meaning of Rabbits to Past Societies Summary
Bibliography
