[verisimi]

I'm out and about all the time, walking, I go to various places, and yet hardly ever find any signs of dead animals. Most recently I have saw a dead dear (roadkill), and it has now decomposed pretty completely after 2 months.

I don't see how 1 red squirrel dies 600 years ago, and we still have its remains today, nevermind 12 of them! All from Winchester!

[surfingdino]

Old churches, castles? Crypts, attics?

[verisimi]

It's unlikely, right?

https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_II*_listed_buildings_in...

Here's a list of medieval buildings in Winchester. There are 30-40 buildings old enough. Hard to imagine red squirrels choosing to die in these places, not being eaten by other critters, and then remaining undiscovered by cleaners all this time, only to finally become historical DNA samples.

[surfingdino]

> Back then, squirrel fur was used as a fine lining for clothes and some people also had pet squirrels. They were particularly popular with women.

from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj7mry8yvrmo

We are likely not talking about whole squirrels, but bits and pieces of them found on the burial sites.

[verisimi]

I guess that proves it! :) /s

Thanks for the exchange.