BIOARHEOROMAN

PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0852

Project Registration Code: PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0852; Financing contract: no. 73 from 12/07/2017; Project Title (English): Colonizing the periphery (Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor - 1st-6th c.AD): a bioarchaeological approach of Romanization; Project Title (Romanian): Colonizarea periferiei (Moesia Inferior și Scythia Minor - secolele I-VI p.Hr.): o abordare bioarheologică a romanizării; Project Acronym: BIOARHEOROMAN; Domanin: SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES.

Abstract

Our archaeozoological research aims to contribute to the understanding of the development of animal husbandry and animal resources exploitation during Roman time in Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor. The Roman settlements are characterized by the appearance of very large cattle and sheep-goat (in comparison with the indigenous ones). Our study will combine morphometric and archaeogenetic analysis to understand if this large species resulted from improvement of animal breeding or from the import of animal stock. The project will integrate archaeozoological, palinologic, archaeogenetic, GIS, pedologic and archaeological analyses in order to explore the history of human-animal-landscape interactions in the Roman Period; the data for this period will be placed in a synchronic and also diachronic context; one will be compared with the data for the Iron Age period and for Byzantine period in order to investigate the transition phenomena. The project will highlight the differences between military and civilian milieu, urban and rural settlements, differences on the diversity of the used animal resources and the exploitation strategies in Roman time in comparison with those of Iron Age and Byzantine period. This integrative approach provide a more holistic picture of animal use and changes in the diet during the Roman Empire by highlighting the efficiency, adaptability, and innovation of the Romans in term of animal husbandry and breeding tactics.