Dama International: fallow deer (Dama dama dama) and European society 4000 BC - AD 1600

Visit any stately home and you will find a herd of European fallow deer (Dama dama dama). These elegant animals are one of natural history's puzzles because, despite their name, they are not of European origin: they are native to Turkey from where people have gradually transported them around the globe. The distribution of fallow deer is thus a direct record of human population movements, trade and ideology with the potential to provide cultural evidence of the highest quality and relevance for a range of disciplines and audiences.

There are many publications devoted to fallow deer but these largely recycle 'received wisdom'. In fact, astonishingly little is known about fallow deer; their history is obfuscated by ambiguous linguistic, textual, iconographic and archaeological evidence. To rectify this situation we carried out a pilot study, The Fallow Deer Project, whose results have challenged established theories about the species' history and provided new insights into Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman society. It also highlighted the scarcity of scientific work on fallow deer and demonstrated how a new dataset will enable us to explore some of the highest-profile issues in European archaeology: e.g. the nature and spread of the Neolithic in the eastern Mediterranean and the structure and worldview of societies in the Bronze Age Aegean, Iron Age Greece and Gaul, and the Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Norman Empires.

To realise this potential, our transdisciplinary team will employ methods proven by our pilot study - e.g. the integration of archaeology, history, geography and anthropology with genetics, stable isotope analysis and osteological research - to answer the following questions:

1) Were fallow deer domesticated?
Domestication is a high-profile topic but it has been overlooked in relation to D. d. dama. Interestingly, unlike cattle, sheep or horses, fallow deer provide no milk, wool or traction to warrant their maintenance, yet most archaeological Dama lived into old age - what prompted different human groups to form close, long-term relationships with this species?

2) Under what circumstances were fallow deer established across Europe?
Fallow deer translocation seemingly began in the Neolithic and by the Bronze Age they were established throughout the Aegean. They appear to have held a magico-religious status that endured into the Iron Age and Roman period, when their bones were traded as holy relics. This trade has confused understanding of Dama biogeography but our research indicates that the Romans established the species across Europe. We now need to clarify how, from where and why these animals/body parts were transported.

3) Did the collapse of the Roman Empire cause extirpation of fallow deer?
Evidence for fallow deer is scarce in early medieval Europe; however, they may have been present but simply not exploited by people. The results of this question will be considered further in questions 4 and 5.

4) Did the Normans reintroduce fallow deer via Islamic influence?
The idea that fallow deer, the Arabic concept of parks and new hunting rituals were exported from the Norman Kingdom of Sicily is based on circumstantial evidence. We will examine all available data from the Islamic and Christian medieval world either to confirm existing beliefs and provide insights into the culture-contact of this period, or to indicate that Roman Dama populations endured in pre-Norman Europe, necessitating a re-assessment of the Norman Conquest's impact.

5) How do human-Dama relationships reveal worldview?
It has been shown repeatedly that the relationship between humans and wild animals reflects a society's structure and beliefs. Certainly wherever fallow deer were translocated, they were incorporated into expressions of socio-cultural identity and ideology. We will explore how different human groups negotiated status, gender, religious and cultural beliefs through interactions with fallow deer.

Our pilot project highlighted three main non-academic groups with whom we wish to engage: 1) general public, 2) primary school children, 3) those involved with deer management, conservation and legislation

1. General public. Fallow deer are as much a part of Europe's cultural heritage as the more visible monuments of Stonehenge or Fountains Abbey but, because they are abundant and widespread, their cultural significance is overlooked. Yet it is their very familiarity that makes fallow deer engaging cultural and educational resources- they can be accessed by anyone. Our pilot study demonstrated that fallow deer have considerable public appeal: our contributions to the British Deer Society's magazine were very well received by the BDS's 5,300 membership (we were contacted by a large number of members) with one article requested for re-publication in another general interest magazine 'Saxon'. Growing interest in introduced species is reflected by the BBC, who are planning a new series on the history of Britain, told through the stories of animal extinctions and invasions (linked to O'Connor and Sykes 2010 - see Sykes CV). We plan to collaborate with the BBC on this series but are proposing a range of other activities to disseminate our research to the public (see Pathways to Impact)

2. Primary school children. Our project fits well with the English history curriculum, particularly Key Stage 2 (Roman Impact) and Key Stage 3 (Norman Conquest and the Crusades). We will work with education officers from at least three UK museums, providing them with teaching packs/educational resources to complement their existing activities (Pathways to Impact).

3. Deer management, conservation and legislation
Today deer are a serious economic, environmental and political issue with debate surrounding their impact, management and conservation - contentious issues that can all be addressed through studies of the past. This is exemplified by modern British deer legislation: existing laws have their origins in Roman/medieval codes that were established to address issues of the time (e.g. poaching) but bear little relevance to current concerns, e.g. damage to natural heritage sites and deer collisions on our roads. Phillip et al. (2009) have shown how historical analyses of deer numbers, environmental change and the changing legal framework are vital for informing contemporary debate over sustainable deer management. To this end Dama International will work with national organisations (the British Deer Society, the Deer Initiative, RELU and the Forestry Commission are all involved in our Deer and People conference) to offer a long-term perspective on deer management and new ways forward for modern deer legislation.

We will actively collaborate with deer managers, briefing them on the significance of fallow deer and providing information on the origin and diversity of their regional populations - issues key to the development of effective management strategy. They will also be trained in the collection of DNA samples so that they might engage directly in our research.

Importantly, we will address deer conservation; for although domestic Dama have a worldwide distribution, they are almost extinct in the wild. There is just one surviving 'native' population, living free at Termessos National Park in Turkey: the IUCN Red List of threatened species classifies this herd as 'under serious threat' and requiring 'strong anti-poaching measures, recovery management and re-introductions'. Our project will publicise Termessos's conservation efforts and, through the collection of genetic material, help preserve this vulnerable herd, especially by assessing levels of inbreeding and gauging its effective size - both by-products of the broader DNA study (Pathways to Impact).

Phillip et al. 2009. Is legislation a barrier to the sustainable manageme