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This paper is the first of a series on the craniology of four species of Bos . Here (and in the next paper) Bos taurus in Britain is used to establish a basic craniology for the genus. In the initial sections notes are made on the nomenclature, material available, history, and age assessment of B. taurus . The subsequent section deals with the effects of sex, age and breed on absolute size. The results show that Bos taurus is very variable, particularly in the length of the horncore. Sex influences certain dimensions very greatly, particularly those of breadth. Although the horns of cows are often longer than those of bulls of the same breed the horn cores may be shorter in cows. In studying the effects of age it can be seen that growth rates are initially very high, slowing down at about three years of age. Tooth row length decreases with age and hence it is a particularly unreliable indicator of size. Obviously breed affects size and it has been possible to divide the skulls studied into size groups which correspond well with known body weights.

This paper describes the study of a buried palaeosol of post-glacial age stratified between a periglacial coombe rock and a ploughwash deposit. Soil analysis (lithology and mineralogy) and molluscan analysis demonstrate a sequence of woodland, woodland clearance, and tillage. Radiocarbon assay of charcoal from the buried soil gave a date of 1960±220 bc which may date the clearance phase. The soil profile is part of a palaeocatena, the Mollusca from a drier phase of which have been published in an earlier paper. It has therefore been possible to check the relationship of the molluscan assemblages to the buried soil types and it is shown that both the morphology of the palaeosol and the composition of the fauna vary according to their position on the buried landscape.

Despite extensive excavation work both in the City and Vale of York, there has been little attempt to synthesize the considered wealth of biological information which has occurred. This paper discusses some of the preliminary results obtained by the Environmental Research Team of the York Archaeological Trust and endeavours to relate these into the rather inadequate regional background, a mosaic, which, even in comparatively well-studied fields such as animal and human bones, still has more holes than pieces. Considerable emphasis is placed upon the more recently developed lines of research, particularly the insect remains, since it is felt that these have much more to offer than is realized by most archaeologists. The final section reviews certain aspects of the interaction between man and his environment, particularly the climate, in relation to the limited amount of evidence as yet recovered from York. This research has stressed the additional amount of information which can be gained by a close association of field archaeologist, historian and environmental scientists.