THE image of Raquel Welch in a fur-lined bikini in the film One Million Years BC may not be as far-fetched as it seems.

Iron Age Scots farmed foxes and other animals to make sought-after fur-trimmed coats, shawls and loin cloths, a study by archeologists has revealed.

Analysis of animal bones at settlements on Scottish islands suggests that non-native species were imported and bred specifically for their pelts, prized by the fashion-conscious inhabitants of the remote communities.

The study, by archeologists at York University, shows that foxes flourished on Orkney during the late Iron Age, but were absent from the Outer Hebrides and Shetland, leading researchers to conclude that they were introduced to the island because their fur was valued more highly than that of indigenous species.

Remains of dogs and cats were also uncovered, suggesting they were routinely imported to Scottish islands, possibly for pest management and livestock control as well as domestic pets. Badgers are also believed to have been imported as “trophies” by the islanders.

According to its authors, the study could be evidence of the earliest example of fur farming in Scotland, a practice finally banned in 2001.

“Humans must have been taking foxes to Orkney,” said Eva Fairnell, co-author of the study. “My feeling is that they were used for their fur, for clothing and blankets, because there is evidence they were skinned.

“Fox fur had a high prestige, it may have been an accessory, some sort of fashionable trim. Either it was a common resource or had some other value, perhaps for its rarity or colour.”

The archaeologists analysed more than 850 bone samples from 139 Scottish sites.

They included about 30 records of fox bones on five islands — Coll, Islay, Iona, Orkney and Rousay.

Fairnell found that the fox — which is common on mainland Scotland — was widespread on Orkney for a few centuries towards the end of the Iron Age, which spanned 700BC to 100AD. Its disappearance coincided with the arrival of the Vikings.

Although mammals such as foxes and badgers may have been able to reach the islands via land bridges or ice packs, it is thought unlikely because Orkney and the Outer Hebrides became separated from the mainland long before the beginning of the Iron Age.

“Overall, the weight of evidence from a variety of sources — sea level modelling, habitat indicators and the natural history of the species involved — seems to indicate that it is unlikely populations of the fur-bearing species under consideration could have colonised Shetland, Orkney or the Outer Hebrides without human intervention,” the study concludes.

Fairnell was able to determine whether animals were skinned for their fur or as trophies by examining the type of bones left at the sites. She found a large number of skulls, foot bones and tail bones which were often left attached to skins that were used as trophies or pelts.

Cut marks on the bones were also consistent with the animals having been skinned, the study said, rather than dismembered for their meat.

Times Recommends

• Charles blazes trail as sun king
• Thalidomiders win payout 50 years on
• Libel gag on talk of 'medical hurricane'