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The early farmers kept various animals,including cattle and sheep.
早期的農民飼養各種動物，包括牛和羊。
There's also evidence of pigs,but it is possible that these could have been descended from the native wild species.
證據表明還有一些豬存在，但是可能是當地野生物種的后裔。
Now,we know from modern farming that if the level of breeding stock falls below about three hundred females,the future of the species locally is at risk.
現在，我們從現代農業得知，如果良種畜的水平低于300頭雌性，那么當地的未來物種便岌岌可危。
So we must assume that from the beginnings of Neolithic farming the number of breeding sheep would have considerably exceeded three hundred,
所以我們必須假定新石器時代農業開端的繁殖種羊在數量上超過300頭，
and the national cattle herd must have been of a similar size.
而牛群的數量也是一致。
The question is how these were brought to the area and where they came from.
問題是它們是如何引入到這里，而它們又來自何方。
It's usually suggested that the Neolithic settlers used skin-covered boats to transport livestock.
通常假設新石器時代的定居者使用動物皮膚制成船然后運輸牲畜。
But this method would have severely restricted the range of the colonising fleets.
但是這種方法可能會嚴重影響移民艦隊的規模。
The sheer volume of animal transport necessary means it's unlikely that this livestock could have been brought from anywhere further than England.
動物運輸量意味著這些牲畜不可能來自于英格蘭以外更遠的地方。
What about crops?Well,tw main cereal crops were introduced to Ireland during thsi time: wheat and barley,both in several varieties.
那么農作物呢？兩種主要的谷物作物在這一時期引入愛爾蘭：各種品種的小麥和大麥。
The main evidence for their presence consists of impressions on pottery,
它們出現的重要證據來源于陶器上的壓痕，
where a cereal grain accidentally became embedded in the surface of a pot before it was fired.
谷粒在陶器沒有燒制之前碰巧嵌在表面。
The grain itself was destroyed by the firing,but it left an impression on the pot which could be studied andidentified by botanists.
大火破壞了谷粒，但是陶器上留下的印痕可以供植物學家研究、辨認。
