The Excavations of San Giovanni Di Ruoti

by Small, Alastair; Eastham, A. (CON); Monckton, S. G. (CON); Reese, David S. (CON); Steele, D. G. (CON); Mackinnon, M. R.

• ISBN13: 9780802048653
• ISBN10: 080204865X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr

Summary

This third volume of The Excavations of San Giovanni di Ruoti series deals with the social, economic, and environmental information derived from the analysis of zooarchaeological and palaeobotanical remains found at the fourth-century A.D. Italian villa of San Giovanni di Ruoti. The four contributors use the large collection of organic evidence obtained from the site, including mammal and bird bones, shells, land snails, and plant remains, to provide information on diet, food preparation, economics, trade routes, taxation, local environment and climate, agricultural economy, and animal husbandry. With both technical analysis and an interpretive component, the contributors offer various reconstructions of Roman life, often in combination with quotations from ancient literary sources, allowing this work to appeal to both the specialist and layperson alike. Written with a thoroughness and attention to detail not often seen in zooarchaeological work, this analysis represents an important advance in the study of faunal and botanical data in Roman archaeology in Italy, and will be an invaluable resource for all environmental and classical archaeologists.

Author Biography

Michael MacKinnon is a Postdoctoral fellow at Boston University.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	x
List of Tables	xi
List of Figures	xiv
Preface	xvii
Abbreviations	xxix
The Animal Bones	3	(168)
M.R. MacKinnon
Introduction	3	(2)
Methods	5	(12)
General recovery	5	(1)
Recovery in middens	6	(2)
Identifications	8	(1)
Quantification	9	(2)
Aging and sexing	11	(2)
Measurements	13	(1)
Taphonomic measures	14	(1)
Butchery and meat weights	14	(2)
Pathologies	16	(1)
Results	17	(77)
General recovery and quantification	17	(1)
Recovery and quantification in middens	18	(4)
Taphonomy	22	(1)
Carnivores	23	(5)
Cautionary notes	28	(1)
Frequency of species	28	(3)
Principal domesticated animals	31	(1)
Cattle	31	(1)
Frequency	31	(1)
Body parts	31	(3)
Age	34	(1)
Sex	34	(1)
Size	35	(1)
Pathologies	36	(1)
Sheep/Goats	37	(1)
Frequency	37	(1)
Body parts	38	(2)
Carnivore activity and the sheep/goat sample	40	(3)
Differential deposition	43	(3)
Age	46	(2)
Sex	48	(2)
Size	50	(1)
Pathologies	50	(1)
Pigs	50	(1)
Frequency	50	(1)
Body parts	51	(3)
Carnivore activity and the pig sample	54	(3)
Differential deposition	57	(1)
Size	58	(4)
Age	62	(4)
Sex	66	(2)
Pathologies	68	(2)
Other domesticated animals	70	(1)
Equids	70	(1)
Identification	70	(1)
Body parts	70	(1)
Age	70	(1)
Size	71	(1)
Canids	71	(1)
Cats	71	(1)
Wild mammals	72	(1)
Deer	72	(1)
Lagomorphs	73	(1)
Brown bear	73	(1)
Bat	73	(1)
Porcupine	73	(1)
Dormice	73	(1)
Other rodents	74	(1)
Mole	74	(1)
Shrew	74	(1)
Vole	74	(1)
Rat	74	(1)
Mice	74	(1)
Other animals, except birds	75	(1)
Fish	75	(1)
Reptiles	76	(1)
Amphibians	76	(1)
Butchery and meat cuts	76	(1)
Cattle	77	(1)
Sheep/goats	78	(1)
Pigs	79	(2)
Other mammals	81	(1)
Meat cuts	82	(1)
Diet	83	(3)
Spatial patterning of bones	86	(8)
Discussion and Interpretations of the Faunal Sample	94	(27)
UNID component	94	(1)
ID component	95	(1)
Introduction	95	(1)
Wild species	96	(2)
Domestic mammals	98	(1)
Minor domesticates: equids, dogs, cats	98	(1)
Equids	99	(1)
Cattle	100	(2)
Sheep/goats	102	(5)
Pigs	107	(9)
Butchery	116	(2)
Preservation of meat	118	(2)
Cooking and consumption	120	(1)
Conclusions	121	(50)
Appendix 1 Measurements of mammalian bones and teeth, arranged by taxon, part of skeleton, and period / phase	124	(41)
Appendix 2 M3 measurements from domestic and wild pigs from various archaeological sites	165	(1)
Appendix 3 Scientific nomenclature of mammalian taxa listed in this report	166	(1)
Appendix 4 A human foetus from a midden of Period 3B	167	(4)
D.G. Steele
M.R. MacKinnon
The Avian Remains	171	(18)
A. Eastham
Domesticated bird species	171	(8)
Gallus gallus, domestic fowl	171	(1)
Domestic fowl bones from the occupation areas	172	(1)
Topsoil finds	172	(1)
Period 1	172	(1)
Period 2	173	(1)
Period 3	173	(1)
Period 3A	174	(1)
Period 3B	174	(1)
The midden deposits	175	(3)
Anser anser, domesticated goose of greylag type	178	(1)
Wild bird species	179	(8)
Notes on the avian aspects of the ecological background	179	(1)
Site Study	180	(2)
Midden 4	182	(1)
Midden 5	182	(1)
Midden 6	183	(1)
Species notes	183	(1)
Falco tinnunculus, Kestrel	183	(1)
Phasianidae: Perdix perdix, Grey partridge; Coturnix coturnix, Quail	184	(1)
Columbidae: Columba livia, Rock dove; Streptopelia turtur, Turtle dove	184	(1)
Piciide: Picus viridis, Green woodpecker; Dendrocopos medius, Middle spotted woodpecker	184	(1)
Alauda arvensis, Skylark	185	(1)
Hirundo rustica, Swallow	185	(1)
Anthus campestris / spinoletta, Tawny / Water pipit	185	(1)
Saxicola torquata, Stonechat	185	(1)
Turdidae: Turdus merula, Blackbird; Turdus philomelos, Song thrush	185	(1)
Lanius minor, Lesser grey shrike	186	(1)
Musicapa striata, Spotted flycatcher	186	(1)
Paridae: Parus caeruleus, Blue tit; Parus major, Great tit	186	(1)
Emberiza calandra, Corn bunting	186	(1)
Fringillidae: Serinus serinus, Serin; Carduelis carduelis, Goldfinch; Carduelis chloris, Greenfinch	186	(1)
Passer domesticus, Sparrow	187	(1)
Oriolus oriolus, Golden oriole	187	(1)
Corvidae; Garrulus glandarius, Jay; Corvus monedula, Jackdaw	187	(1)
Summary	187	(2)
Marine and Freshwater Shells	189	(6)
D.S. Reese
Land Snails	195	(6)
M.R. MacKinnon
Introduction	195	(1)
Methods	195	(2)
General recovery	195	(2)
Identifications and quantification	197	(1)
Environmental reconstruction	197	(1)
Results and discussion	197	(3)
General environmental reconstruction	197	(2)
Rooms	199	(1)
Food species	199	(1)
Conclusions	200	(1)
Plant Remains	201	(16)
S.G. Monckton
Wood charcoal	201	(5)
Methods	201	(1)
Results	202	(1)
Patterns in wood charcoal deposition	203	(3)
Charred seeds	206	(11)
Methods of analysis	206	(1)
Results and comments	206	(11)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	217	(10)
ILLUSTRATIONS	227	(24)
INDEXES	251
Index of Rooms	251
Index of Features	252
Index of Literary Sources and Inscriptions	252
General Index	253