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Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach

  • Lídia Colominas and Abel Gallego-Valle
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The Archaeology of Peasantry in Roman Spain
This chapter is in the book The Archaeology of Peasantry in Roman Spain

Abstract

In recent years, the study of animal husbandry in Roman Spain has undergone a remarkable development with archaeozoological data from villas and urban centres. Rural settlements, however, have yet to be fully studied and therefore the characteristics and economic importance of animal husbandry in the countryside is not yet completely understood. In this study we analysed the archaeozoological evidence (osteological and dental microwear analyses) from a coastal rural site (the small villa of Tolegassos), a rural mid-mountain site (the settlement of Can Rubió) and an eastern Pyrenean site (the town of Llívia) to shed light on this topic. The archaeozoological data from these three different rural sites indicate that the predominant type of livestock breeding in the countryside corresponded to small or medium-sized properties linked to the surrounding territory that, despite a more or less specialised vocation, practiced a wider diversification of livestock production.

Abstract

In recent years, the study of animal husbandry in Roman Spain has undergone a remarkable development with archaeozoological data from villas and urban centres. Rural settlements, however, have yet to be fully studied and therefore the characteristics and economic importance of animal husbandry in the countryside is not yet completely understood. In this study we analysed the archaeozoological evidence (osteological and dental microwear analyses) from a coastal rural site (the small villa of Tolegassos), a rural mid-mountain site (the settlement of Can Rubió) and an eastern Pyrenean site (the town of Llívia) to shed light on this topic. The archaeozoological data from these three different rural sites indicate that the predominant type of livestock breeding in the countryside corresponded to small or medium-sized properties linked to the surrounding territory that, despite a more or less specialised vocation, practiced a wider diversification of livestock production.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
  6. Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
  7. Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
  8. Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
  9. Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
  10. A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
  11. Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
  12. Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
  13. Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
  14. On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
  15. Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
  16. With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
  17. From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
  18. Conclusions 277
  19. List of Contributors 285
  20. List of Figures 291
  21. Index 295
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110757415-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
  6. Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
  7. Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
  8. Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
  9. Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
  10. A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
  11. Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
  12. Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
  13. Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
  14. On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
  15. Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
  16. With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
  17. From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
  18. Conclusions 277
  19. List of Contributors 285
  20. List of Figures 291
  21. Index 295
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