Mammalian macrofauna from the area of the Roman settlement at Grublje near Vipava
Keywords:
Roman period; Vipava; fauna; Roman period stock-breeding; dietary habitsAbstract
During the investigation of Roman settlement traces at Grublje near Vipava (western Slovenia), 403 remains of large mammals were discovered, and 108 of these were taxonomically identified. A total of at least five species were represented among them (i.e. cattle representing over two thirds of the finds, and also sheep and/or goat, pig, horse, and red deer), and possibly also aurochs and European bison. The biometrical analysis of cattle bones showed the presence of large animals attributable to the advanced “Roman” breed also in the 4th century, i.e. at the beginning of Late Antiquity. The withers height of a horse, to which the only undamaged long bone (i.e. metatarsus) in the entire material belonged, would also agree with the data for Roman specimens from the wider region. Cattle breeding, generally the main meat source for the local inhabitants, was seemingly focused primarily on oxen (cows?) as working animals. The at most 6.6% share of hunted species testifies to a modest significance (in quantity) of game in the local diet
Downloads
References
ALBARELLA, U. 2002, “Size matters”: how and why biometry is still important in zooarchaeology. – V: K. Dobney, T. O’Connor (ur.), Bones and the man, 51–62, Oxford.
ANDRIČ, M., B. TOŠKAN, J. DIRJEC in A. GASPARI 2012, Arheološki in okoljski zapis v sedimentu vodne kotanje iz začetka 1. stoletja n. št. na lokaciji NUK II (Emona). – V: A. Gaspari, M. Erič (ur.), Potopljena preteklost. Arheologija vodnih okolij in raziskovanje pod-vodne kulturne dediščine v Sloveniji, 409–416, Ljubljana.
ARMITAGE, P. L. 1989, The use of animal bones as building material in post-medieval Britain. – V: D. Serjeantson, T. Waldron (ur.), Diet and crafts in towns. The evidence of animal remains from the Roman to the Post-Medieval periods,
BAR. British series 199, 147–160, Oxford.
BARTOSIEWICZ, L. 1999, Recent developments in archaeo-zoological research in Slovenia (Novi izsledki arheoloških raziskav v Sloveniji). – Arheološki vestnik 50, 311–322.
BARTOSIEWICZ, L. 2002, Dogs from the Ig pile dwell-ings in the National Museum of Slovenia. – Arheološki vestnik 53, 77–89.
BARTOSIEWICZ, L. 2008, Animal bones from excavations at Mrzlo Polje and Ivančna Gorica (Roman road). – V: D. Svoljšak et al., Mrzlo Polje pri Ivančni Gorici, Arheo-logija na avtocestah Slovenije 5, 181–185, Ljubljana (http://www.zvkds.si/sl/kulturna-dediscina-slovenije/publikacije/publikacije/85-drago-svoljsak-et-al-mrzlo-polje-pri-ivancni-gorici/).
BENECKE, N. 2005–2006, The Holocene distribution of European bison – the archaeozoological record. –Mu-nibe 57, 421–428.
BÖKÖNYI, S. 1974, History of domestic mammals in Central and Eastern Europe. – Budapest.
BÖKÖNYI, S. 1984, Animal husbandry and hunting in Tác-Gorsium. The vertebrate fauna of a Roman town in Pannonia. – Budapest.
BÖKÖNYI, S. 1994, Analiza živalskih kosti / Die Tier-knochenfunde. – V: S. Gabrovec, Stična I. Naselbinska izkopavanja / Stična I. Siedlungsausgrabungen, Katalogi in monografije 28, 190–213, Ljubljana.
BON, M., G. PICCOLI in B. SALA 1991, I giacimenti Quaternari di vertebrati fossili nell'Italia nord-orientale. – Memorie di Scienze Geologiche 43, 185–231.
BOSCHIN, F. in B. TOŠKAN 2012, Changes in cattle body size in Slovenia from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Age. – V: J. De Grossi Mazzorin, D. Saccà, C. Tozzi (ur.), 6º convegno nazionale di archeozoologia, Parco dell'Orecchiella, 21–24. 05. 2009, Atti del 6º convegno nazionale di archeozoologia, 393–395, Lecce.
BRATINA, P. in V. TRATNIK 2008, Vipava-telovadnica 2008. Poročilo o zaščitnem arheološkem izkopavanju na najdišču Vipava-arheološko najdišče Bela in Grublje (EŠD 12173), za objekt telovadnice. – Neobjavljeno poročilo / unpublished report; Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije, OE Nova Gorica.
DRIESCH, von den A. 1976, A guide to the measurement of animal bones from archaeological sites. – Peabody Museum Bulletin 1, 1–136.
HIGHAM, C. F. W. 1967, Stock rearing as a cultural factor in Prehistoric Europe. – The Prehistoric Society 6, 84–106.
HORVAT, J. in A. BAVDEK 2009, Okra, vrata med Sredo-zemljem in Srednjo Evropo / Ocra, the gateway between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. – Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 17, Ljubljana.
LYMAN, R. L. 1999, Vertebrate taphonomy. – Cambridge.
MACKINNON, M. 2004, Production and consumption of animals in Roman Italy: integrating the zooarchaeological and textual evidence. – Journal of Roman Archaeology, Supplementary Series 54, 1–264.
MARTIN, T. 1987, Artunterschiede an den Langknochen groβer Artiodactyla des Jungpleistozäns Mitteleuropas. – Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 96, 1–124.
MAY, E. 1985, Widerristhöhe und Langenknochenmaβe bei Pferden – ein immer noch aktuelles Problem. – Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 50, 368–382.
MERLATTI, R. 2001, Il complesso protostorico della Grotta delle Ossa a San Canziano del Carso. – Atti e memorie della Società Istriana di Archeologia e Storia Patria 101, 7–85.
PAYNE, S. 1973, Kill-off patterns in sheep and goats: the mandibles from Aşvan Kale. – Anatolian studies 23, 281–303.
PLETERSKI, A. 2008, Zgodnjesrednjeveška naselbina na blejski Pristavi. Najdbe / Frühmittelalterliche Siedlung Pristava. Funde. – Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 14, Ljubljana.
RAKOVEC, I. 1973, Razvoj kvartarne sesalske favne v Sloveniji (Über quartäre Säugetierfaunen Sloweniens [NW Jugoslawien]). – Arheološki vestnik 24, 217–270.
RIEDEL, A. 1977, I resti animali della Grotta delle Ossa (Škocjan). – Atti del Museo civico di Storia naturale, Trieste 30(2), 125–208.
RIEDEL , A. 1993, Tierknochenfunde aus den Ausgrabungen im Bereich des Schlosses von Udine (Friaul). – Aquileia Nostra 64, 70–106.
RIEDEL, A. 1994, Archaeozoological investigations in North-eastern Italy: the exploitation of animals since the Neolitihic. – Preistoria Alpina 30, 43–94.
SALA, B. 1986, Bison schoetensacki Freud. from Isernia la Pineta (early Mid-Pleistocene – Italy) and revision of the european species of bison. – Palaeontographia Italica 74, 113–170.
SILVER, A. 1972, The aging of domestic animals. – V: D. Brothwell, E. Higgs (ur.), Science in archaeology. A survey of progress and research, 293–302, London.
STALLIBRASS, S. 2000, Dead dogs, dead horses: site formation processes at Ribchester Roman fort. – V: P. Rowley-Conwy (ur.), Animal bones, human societies, 158–165, Oxford.
STOKES, P. 2000, A cut above the rest? Officers and man at South Shields Roman fort. – V: P. Rowley-Conwy (ur.), Animal bones, human societies, 145–151, Oxford, Oakville.
STORK, M. in A. von den DRIESCH 1987, Tierkno-chenfunde aus Invillino-Ibligo in Friaul/Italien. – V: V. Bierbrauer (ur.), Invillino-Ibligo in Friaul I. Text, Münchener Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte 33, 453–484, München.
TOŠKAN, B. in J. DIRJEC 2004, Ostanki velikih sesalcev v Viktorjevem spodmolu / Remains of large mammals in Viktorjev spodmol. – V: I. Turk (ur.), Viktorjev spodmol in Mala Triglavca. Prispevki k poznavanju mezolitskega obdobja v Sloveniji / Viktorjev spodmol and Mala Triglav-ca. Contributions to understanding the Mesolithic period in Slovenia, Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 9, 135–167, Ljubljana.
TOŠKAN, B in J. DIRJEC 2011, Sesalska makrofavna / Mammalian Macrofauna. – V: Z. Modrijan, T. Milavec (ur.), Poznoantična utrjena naselbina Tonovcov grad pri Kobaridu. Najdbe / Late Antique fortified settlement Tonovcov grad near Kobarid. Finds, Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 24, 303–388, Ljubljana.
TRATNIK, V. 2008, 111. Arheološko najdišče Bela in Grublje. – Varstvo spomenikov 45, Poročila, 206–207.
TRATNIK, V. 2012, Sledovi rimskodobne poselitve na Grubljah pri Vipavi (Traces of Roman settlement at Grublje near Vipava). – Arheološki vestnik 63, 105–138.
UERPMANN, H.-P. 1973, Animal bone finds and economic archaeology: a critical study of “osteoarchaeological” method. –World archaeology 4/3, 307–322.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit their self to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
More in: Submission chapter