Animal remains from the Late Medieval kitchen of the Esztergom archdiocese, Hungary - the benefits of screening
Medieval animal remains from the Esztergom archbishopric (Hungary) were screened using 5 mm and 2 mm mesh sizes, aimed at the high-resolution study of fish and bird remains and helping to achieve better comparisons with documentary sources. This is the first medieval assemblage in Hungary...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, Serbia
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Starinar |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0241/2021/0350-02412171231G.pdf |
| Summary: | Medieval animal remains from the Esztergom archbishopric (Hungary) were
screened using 5 mm and 2 mm mesh sizes, aimed at the high-resolution study
of fish and bird remains and helping to achieve better comparisons with
documentary sources. This is the first medieval assemblage in Hungary
recovered using screening. A total of 7,294 animal remains are studied here,
representing the 14th and 15th century. The screening resulted in quantities
of fish and bird bones. The large find numbers also multiplied the taxonomic
diversity. In addition to the remains of new, small-bodied species, bones of
young fish showed a diachronic increase in the contribution of carp and
young pike to the diet. This seems consonant with the expansion of medieval
fish farming. Remains of juvenile birds could also be identified. Some
worked bones recovered by screening indicate the manufacturing or reparation
of crossbows at the site. Thanks to these details, our material stands out
among other contemporaneous animal bone assemblages from the Carpathian
Basin. Comparisons between sites, however, must be done with caution, as our
data are qualitatively different from others. Large bones of livestock and
the near absence of those from large game may be interpreted in the light of
other hand-collected samples, while fish and bird remains and even the
abundance of brown hare need to be seen in part as a product of
high-resolution recovery. The newly discovered spectrum of animal remains
could be profitably interpreted in the light of late 15th century accounting
books of the archbishop. Although these documentary sources slightly
post-date our material, they shed light on the complexities of meat
procurement between possibly local production and trade. |
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| ISSN: | 0350-0241 2406-0739 |