St Oswald and St Aidan Pies

Two new pie flavours have been created as part of the Bamburgh Bones project.

Susan Comber – a local caterer from Belford – developed two recipes designed as small pie/finger foods for project events. The pie fillings are based on the archaeological evidence of the Anglo-Saxon diet from the excavations from within Bamburgh Castle and are themed as St Aidan (lentil, celeriac, carrot and honey) and St Oswald (chicken, leek, mead and dill).

Stable isotope analysis – the study of the nuances of elements in archaeological materials – can unlock all sorts of secrets about climate, diet, and the geographical origins of bones and other materials. Since teeth are highly resistant to decomposition and chemical degradation, they constitute a particularly valuable material for such analysis allowing osteoarchaeologist Professor Charlotte Roberts to determine the diet of the Bowl Hole skeletons.

We are delighted that we have now been able to produce recipe cards for the St Aidan (vegetarian) and St Oswald Pies based on their diet.

The recipe cards can also be downloaded and printed