Archaeology project promoting sustainable use of wild fallow deer venison nominated for national award

A project that is drawing upon ancient practices to promote more sustainable management of British fallow deer and wild venison has been shortlisted for a national award.

Fair Game, led by the University of Exeter with a host of national and regional partners, has been named as a finalist in the Sustainability category of this year’s Archaeological Achievement Awards.

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Fair Game is seeking to address the poor public image that surrounds necessary deer culling by explaining the species’ medieval origins, including why it was introduced and how it was hunted.

With populations in the country at record levels and their impacts being felt across the landscape, the project team is also helping to improve deer management through initiatives such as recruiting a more diverse demographic of deer stalkers and establishing a social enterprise that will distribute free venison to those in need.

“The culling of fallow deer is a culturally contentious subject – as a vegetarian and deer lover I would prefer other solutions,” says Professor Naomi Sykes, Project Lead, and Head of the Department of Archaeology and History at Exeter. “At the moment, culling is the only viable way to control deer numbers. But such is the fear of negative publicity, people are deterred from becoming deer stalkers, and the venison that is produced from culled animals is often exported cheaply or even discarded. Meanwhile, we continue to import venison from deer farms as far away as New Zealand, which is then sold at premium prices in our supermarkets.”

Drawing upon zooarchaeological expertise at the University, amassed through funded research projects such as Dama International, the project team is demonstrating how fallow deer was introduced into Britain from the Mediterranean around 1,000AD, primarily for hunting.

Women were the principal hunters, and deer carcasses were ritually butchered, with the venison redistributed throughout society to facilitate community cohesion. Over time, hunting and the consumption of venison fell out of fashion. But the deer didn’t go away and so population numbers increased exponentially.

“In essence the modern fallow deer problem is a legacy of the medieval period,” says Professor Sykes. “So, through this project, we are resuscitating medieval-style approaches to fallow deer hunting, carcass processing and venison redistribution.”

Together, the partners – who include the South Downs National Park Authority, The National Trust, Natural England and the British Deer Society – have begun a coordinated effort to train a more diverse demographic of deer stalkers. They are also establishing communal infrastructure to store and supply venison carcases, as well a new Virtuous Venison brand, which will distribute free venison via food charities, FareShare and the Felix Project.

The Archaeological Achievement Awards, coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology, celebrate excellence in archaeology across the UK and Ireland, recognising projects and individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the field.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday 22 November at the Temple of Peace, Cardiff – all of whom will be considered for an overall Outstanding Achievement Award.

Fair Game: Valuing the bio-cultural heritage of fallow deer and the venison for food security, sustainable woodlands and diversity is a one-year project, and runs until February 2025.