Uninvited Guests – The Archaeological Significance of Insects

Sander Aerts – Wessex Archeology, 2nd February 2023

An excellent attendance assembled at the White Hart for the usual coffee and
biscuits, a pre meeting chat before Probus business commenced.

The Club President then welcomed Sander Aerts to our meeting to speak about
the significance of insects found during archaeology excavations and
investigations.

It turns out that the insect content of the soil surrounding an excavation,
can tell us a great deal about what was happening at the time the deposits were
laid down. This includes factors affecting climate, the human diet of the time,
the local agriculture and the food-chain at the insect layer.

In a very entertaining presentation, Sander, who is from the South of the
Netherlands, described his passion for the analysis of beetle remains, as these
can indicate much to someone who knows what to look for. It came as quite a surprise
that beetles account for 25% of ALL fauna on the planet – a staggering
statistic. Beetles are less prone to decay due to their hard shells and are
easier to detect than softer bodied insects. Sander described the process of
washing soil in a series of meshes with a detergent solution to isolate the
remains so that they could be identified. Once identified, the habitat may be surmised.
All very interesting, and another of these topics that make one say, ‘fancy
that, I had no idea!’

Sander has a great passion for his work and is in a minority in studying
beetles in this way. His presentation was warmly received, and the appreciation
of the audience was shown in the customary manner, with Roger Curtis proposing
the official vote of thanks.

Afterwards, over a dozen members adjourned to the Bell and Crown for lunch –
an excellent turnout.

Our next speaker on 17^th February , will be Mr Alan Jones, with
the topic ‘P is for Prostate’.