Dexters as an

Ancient Breed

The Dexter has been put forward as a living example of what some ancient cattle were like. UK Archaeologists have pointed out that the small hardy Dexter is the closest modern equivalent in size to archaeological specimens from the late Iron Age to early Post-Medieval periods. Following are four examples of how this ancient character of Dexters has been invaluable to modern people.

First, Butser Experimental Ancient Farm in Southern England wanted to test the effectiveness of Celtic Iron Age ploughs from about 300 BC. They needed oxen to draw the ploughs. The Celtic Shorthorn cattle which were raised in the Iron Age are now extinct. They were relatively small in comparison to most modern breeds. The Farm obtained two "medium-legged" Dexter oxen and trained them to pull the ploughs, referring to them as "the nearest modern equivalent to the Celtic cattle".

Secondly, when reconstructions of ancient communities as living museums are undertaken, the Dexter has sometimes featured. Bede’s World, the Museum of Early Medieval Northumbria at Jarrow, near Newcastle in the UK, has developed a farm on which reconstructions occur of medieval Anglo-Saxon farming. Two Dexters, Edwin and Oswin, are kept for use as draft animals here. 

Edwin and Oswin (from www.bedesworld.co.uk)

They were chosen for the farm because of their similarity in size to Anglo-Saxon cattle, using the evidence of cattle bones found on archeological sites. Oxen were used to pull carts and ploughs in the Anglo-Saxon period, and Edwin and Oswin are trained to work as a pair in harness. It is customary for cattle always to be harnessed on the same side, as this makes their training and handling easier, and Oswin is always put on the "off" (right) side. Knowing their names, they respond to individual commands.

Thirdly, "Past Perfect" is an Internet project run jointly by Durham and Northumberland County Councils in the UK (www.pastperfect.info/index.html). It uses the latest in virtual reality interactive technology to bring the archaeology and history of the two counties alive. Part of the site is a reconstruction of Forcegarth Roman Period Farm (www.pastperfect.info/sites/forcegarth/index.html), a Romano-British farmstead inhabited during the first century AD, during the Roman occupation of Northern Britain. It was excavated by archaeologists during 1972 to 1974. Information from the excavation has been used to reconstruct a model of what daily life might have been like in the first century AD at Forcegarth. The website refers to Dexters in the following text: The shorthorn cattle, which were raised in the Romano-British period are now extinct. They were much smaller than the cattle of today. Dexter cows are the nearest modern equivalent to the Romano-British cattle. They would have been used for pulling ards (ploughs) to cultivate the fields and would have been normally yoked around the horns. Although they are quite small they would have been able to plough over half an acre a day easily. Cattle would have also been used for meat and milk (www.pastperfect.info/sites/forcegarth/archive/dexters.html).

Fourthly, when the makers of the movie, "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" (starring Kevin Costner), wanted to have authentic medieval livestock as part of the backdrop to the action, they asked Dexter breeder Pam Weaver to bring along her Dexters. Unfortunately, all the scenes with Dexters in them appear to have been left on the cutting room floor.

In these ways, Dexters have been used as a living reminder of some of the important characteristics of ancient cattle. 

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