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The Darent Valley is home to lots of wildlife. From mammals to birds, climbing plants to species that love water, there are many different types to discover. Many of these were around during the Roman period or were even introduced by the Romans. We know about them from sources like paintings and mosaics or archaeological evidence like zooarchaeology and archaeobotany.
Click on the images below to learn more about some of the plants and animals in the Darent Valley.
Blackbirds are one of the most common birds in the UK. They eat a variety of insects and worms as well as berries. You might see blackbirds cocking their head to the side listening to earthworms underground. Male blackbirds are completely black but females are dark brown with streaks on their chests. Though there isn't much evidence of humans interacting with blackbirds in Roman times, it's possible that they were used as bait in falconry and hunting.
Poppies are wildflowers that grow as weeds amongst crops, hay meadows and on roadsides. When evidence of poppies is found by archaeologists on dig sites it's difficult to work out if they have been grown specifically as a crop or whether they were just harvested amongst other kinds of crops.
The poppy plant was well known to the Romans and the Greeks. They used it in rituals and religious activities as well as for healing. It might have been used to make medicines too. In the 1st century BC, the Roman poet Virgil warned that poppies exhausted the soil. He recommended planting them after the autumn equinox.
Both red deer and roe deer are native to Britain. Red deer are much bigger than roe deer and have branched antlers. A male red deer is called a 'stag' and a female is called a 'hind'. Today, roe deer are the most common native deer in the UK. Roe deer have short antlers and a pale rump.
Both types of deer were hunted for meat in the Roman period. This was usually by villa owners or the military. The antler from red deer was often used to make objects like dice.
Hawthorn is a large shrub or tree with thorny branches. It blooms in May with small, pinkish-white flowers in thick clusters which are followed by red berries.
The Ancient Greeks believed that hawthorn trees were seeded by lightning. The tree's links to the underworld and the supernatural meant that fires fuelled by hawthorn branches were important in rituals.
Hawthorn continued to be important in Roman times and a large amount of hawthorn berries have been found in a pit at Lullingstone Roman Villa. The pit might have been linked to rituals.
Honeysuckle is a climbing plant with tubular flowers. This plant likes chalk, clay and sandy soil like the Chalk Downs in Kent. Honeysuckle grows naturally in woodland and has a strong, sweet smell that attracts moths.
It's believed that honeysuckle may have been introduced to Britain by the Romans. Climbing plants that look like honeysuckle can be found in paintings from Roman sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum in modern-day Italy. It's possible that villa gardens in Britain had similar plants.
Lapwings can often be found around farmland and wetlands. They beat their wings slowly and have a wailing cry. Male lapwings tumble through the air in dramatic flying displays. Female lapwings nest in mud or sand. These birds are on the RSPB's Red List of Conservation Concern. In Roman times, lapwings were a source of food for people in Britain.
Magpies are a member of the crow family. They're scavengers and predators. You might know the rhyme 'one for sorrow, two for joy...' There were also myths about magpies in Roman times. The Romans thought magpies were 'messengers of the underworld'. Archaeologists often find magpie bones in ritual deposits. These are objects buried together underground to protect a place and the people who live there.
Rabbits are small mammals that live in burrows underground. They are very social and live in groups in the wild. Although they are commonly found in Britain today, rabbits were actually brought here by the Normans in the 12th century. We know that at least one rabbit was brought to Britain before this though because its bones have been found at Fishbourne Roman Palace in Sussex.
Snipes are wading birds that live in marshes, wetlands and moorland. They use their long bills to find insects and worms in mud. The tips of their beaks are flexible and full of nerves. These help snipes feel for worms. When archaeologists find snipe bones, it's often a sign that high status people in the past were hunting or fowling (trapping birds for sport) in the area.
Watervoles are small rodents that spend some of their time swimming in water. They live in burrows along stream and ditches and around ponds and lakes. They also live in marshes.
Lots of watervoles were found during an archaeological dig at the granary at Lullingstone Roman Villa.
These plants grow near hay meadows in grasslands. They are weeds that take nutrients and water away from other plants around them so that they can grow stronger. Yellow rattle has yellow tubular flowers that bloom between May and September.
When archaeologists find evidence of yellow rattle on a dig site this can suggest that the area used to be a hay meadow.
Observe the plants and wildlife in the Darent Valley, around your school or in your local area. You could go on a nature walk and record what you see. Challenge yourself to spot 3 types of plant, 3 species of bird and 3 natural features (like rivers, hills and forests).
