Economic adaptations or cultural change? The Romanisation rhythms of Hispania tarraconensis from a zooarchaeological perspective

Abstract

Roman conquest is known to have had a significant impact on animal husbandry across the Western provinces. Northern Italy is no exception, and zooarchaeological studies have demonstrated a variety of developments to livestock exploitation during Roman times. However, several of these developments have origins in later prehistory, well before Roman political hegemony in the region. In particular, significant size increases in cattle and sheep during the Iron Age point to an early re-organisation of livestock management, which was further impacted in Roman times. This presentation explores zooarchaeological evidence for changes in husbandry strategies in northern Italy over later prehistory and the Roman period through NISP, biometry, and age data, attempting to characterise similarities and differences in these two waves of change. Results are contextualised with historical evidence for Roman farming in Italy and environmental/landscape data in order to better understand the role of livestock in the regional agricultural economy and its development through the Roman period.