The HMC project started in 2021 to trace interconnection patterns in the rural region close to the city of Chalkida in Euboea, during the Medieval period. Field surveys in 2022 and 2023 at the...Show moreThe HMC project started in 2021 to trace interconnection patterns in the rural region close to the city of Chalkida in Euboea, during the Medieval period. Field surveys in 2022 and 2023 at the sites of Feges, Bailelekas, and Kastri, and the excavation trench of Kastri in 2023 retrieved multiple animal bones, requiring an archaeozoological analysis that would shed light on inquiries related to their nature and connection to the studied archaeological sites. This, in combination with the fact that no adequate archaeozoological study has been conducted in the Medieval Euboea, has been the main reason why this thesis was essential for both Byzantine Archaeology and Archaeozoology. For the current thesis, I studied faunal material coming from mammals. The main research questions aimed to comprehend from what period the material was derived, what species were present, how they were exploited, and whether these results are equivalent or different from the previous Early Byzantine Period. In addition, other questions included the interpretation of the main excavation site of the project, Kastri, based on the faunal analysis, and consequently, how animal remains can complement an archaeological analysis. It was determined that the faunal material derived from a Middle Byzantine refusion pit, and that caprines, pigs, and cows were mainly exploited for their primary products. Other species that were present included hare which would possibly be hunted, as well as limited rodent and dog bones. While not studied for the current thesis, the existence of fishes and birds was also mentioned to state the variety of animals that were probably used during the period. Most animals were exploited in similar ways as in the earlier period, except for cattle, which showed primarily signs of meat exploitation, contradicting their primary use as working animals in other assemblages from the earlier era. As for the function of Kastri, it was considered a wealthy premise of a central or administrative character, where animals would be gathered, slaughtered, and consumed in situ. It was further understood that faunal remains are essential for a vast number of archaeological questions regarding the period of interest, especially when it comes to the determination of socio-economic-related inquiries. This initial endeavour of archaeozoological analysis in these faunal remains is one of the first in the area, but also one of the very few ones regarding the period. Thus, along with answering the research questions of this thesis, new ones arise that would enlighten us more about the site in the future, especially regarding other species, diets, paleoenvironmental interpretation, as well as the chronology of the material.Show less
This master's thesis aims to explore the relationship between humans and dogs during the Roman period around the Dutch Rhine Delta and take a small step towards increasing the current knowledge of...Show moreThis master's thesis aims to explore the relationship between humans and dogs during the Roman period around the Dutch Rhine Delta and take a small step towards increasing the current knowledge of how people interacted with and utilised their dogs. To gain further insight into this matter, osteometric data from archaeological dog remains were collected and examined. Additionally, literary records and iconographic sources were examined. Within research, certain key elements are of great importance, comprising of the functionality of the dog, their morphology, their pathologies and how the dogs were treated. In addition to examining bone material from the dogs included in the research, several factors have been added to the study to gain a better understanding of the relationship between humans and dogs in the Roman period in the Dutch Rhine Delta. It also evaluates variations between the research sites included. An interdisciplinary approach is employed since a combination of historical, archaeological and archaeozoological information is used. This type of research has already been conducted in other countries than the Netherlands, see reference list, but this type of research has not yet been applied in Dutch studies. Other research has proven that the relationship between humans and dogs is more complex than previously thought. In particular, the treatment of dogs at the time of death has resulted in a diversity of observations (Gene, 2018; Grieve, 2012).Show less
Paleopathology is the study of pathological changes in ancient remains. It is not often employed in the investigation of archaeozoological remains. Palaeopathological publications of horses are...Show morePaleopathology is the study of pathological changes in ancient remains. It is not often employed in the investigation of archaeozoological remains. Palaeopathological publications of horses are even rarer and almost unknown from the Netherlands. In this research paleopathology is applied to horse remains from a Dutch medieval site, De Hoge Hof, Tiel, in order to understand which forms of pathology occur in medieval horses from the Netherlands and what information can be gained from paleopathology on horses regarding their use, role and relation to humans. Furthermore the advantages, disadvantages and difficulties of applying paleopathology to medieval horse remains are explored based on this investigation. A general overview of animal pathology is presented based on the works of Baker and Brothwell and further supplemented with an overview of results of pathological studies on archaeozoological horse remains. The materials used for this investigation are from an excavation of the site De Hoge Hof near Tiel in the riverine area of the Netherlands. This is a site that showed human presence from the Roman period up to the Modern Age, with the strongest human presence in the High and Late Middle Ages. The site boasted a large amount of horse remains in its assemblage, particularly during the Early and Late Middle Ages. Further find categories indicate that the site was an agricultural site with a presence of both smaller hand mills and larger mills, possibly animal powered. The vast majority of horse remains are associated with the Early to Late Middle Ages in which an unusual number of pathological changes were detected by the preliminary study. These pathological changes have all been described, presented and interpreted in order to have a first approach to horse pathology in the Netherlands, in general, and their relation to human activities during the Middle Ages, in particular. In order to achieve this, a typological categorization of horse pathologies is attempted and the relation between pathologies and anthropic activities are discussed.Show less
In this thesis, the zooarchaeological assemblages from the Tabacalera site are compared with each other and changes in animal husbandry strategies and diet are studied. Afterward they are also...Show moreIn this thesis, the zooarchaeological assemblages from the Tabacalera site are compared with each other and changes in animal husbandry strategies and diet are studied. Afterward they are also compared to other data from the Iberian Peninsula known for the periods in question. These assemblage date to the Late Roman Period (5th-6th centuries) and the Middle Ages (8th to 16th, but mainly 14th to 16th). The Late Roman assemblage exists of carcasses dumped after a catastrophic event and the medieval assemblage was accumulated over de course of the centuries. These differences in accumulation made it hard to compare the two assemblages. To asses the possible changes a plethora of methods was used: species ratios, element distribution, mortality profiles, osteometric analysis and the distribution of taphonomic marks. In addition to the mammal fragments these methods were used on, species distribution is also discussed for the other animal groups, such as birds. All in all, this led to the following conclusions. Firstly, due to the different taphonomy and accumulation the two assemblages can barely be compared when animal husbandry and diet is considered. Some conclusions, however are possible. Secondly, cattle were the animals that were produced at the site. The focus of production lay on a mix of meat and secondary products. A part of the cattle was used for milk, ploughing and traction, and not consumed until old age and a part was slaughtered for meat and likely traded to a high-status or urban site in the area. Pig and sheep/goats were animals consumed at the site, but not produced or traded. The only product of pig was meat and sheep/goats were kept for mixed production of both wool and meat. Other species formed a supplement to this diet. Mainly these are chicken and turkey. The presence of turkey is special due to its only recent introduction to the country. Other animal groups still need to be studied. The medieval assemblage fits with the characteristics of a rural Christian site near a high-status or urban settlement during the High Middle Ages in Northern Spain. The changes that could be determined between the Roman and medieval assemblages were the change in socio economic status from high-status Roman to rural medieval. This was also attested by historical sources. There was also a change in primary consumption animal and the breed improvement of cattle known in the area from the Roman period ceased in the Middle Ages, resulting in a decrease in cattle size. The size of the sheep (that were already small during the Roman period) stayed the same during the Middle Ages. This resulted in the conclusion that no breed improvement took place 71 and that the mixed production known for the Roman period stayed the same in the Middle Ages. In conclusion, between the Late Roman period and the (High) Middle Ages the site underwent many changes with little continuity between the periods. These changes envelope both taphonomical and husbandry changes.Show less
