Panel 11.5 – The economy of progression and regression through a zooarchaeological and material culture perspective


Organiser/Chair:

  • Lee Perry-Gal (Israel antiquities authority/The university of Haifa)
  • Artemios Oikonomou (University of Nottingham)

External Discussant:

  • Henriette Baron (Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz)

Panel abstract

The Greco-Roman and Byzantine cultures in the South Eastern Mediterranean have gone through both processes of progression and regression which deeply affected human economy, society and environment. Archaeologically speaking, progression (i.e. prosperity, growth) or regression (i.e. catastrophe, degradation, degeneration) of a site during a specific time period, is identified mainly through various factors/processes which are evident in the archaeological record such as destruction layers, poor or rich material culture, artistic expression, level of commerce, food remains etc. Here we suggest a combination of two characteristic indicators: animal remains and material culture, as some highly effective tools for reconstructing and describing the above powerful processes. The study of these indicators follows an interdisciplinary approach incorporating zooarchaeological methods (to study faunal distribution, managements and exploitation patterns), and various modern and innovative scientific techniques such as isotopic and trace element analysis (to study organic and inorganic materials). In addition to focusing on progression and regression individually, we will also use the above indicators to recognize and reconstruct the longue durée process whereby a single site transit from a state of catastrophe to a state of prosperity (and backwards). The main goal of this panel is to encourage a multidisciplinary, original and fertile discussion between scholars from different fields of knowledge. While focusing on prominent wide-range archaeological case-studies, this symposium will create new insights regarding the processes of progression and regression, a topic that had yet been discussed with such multidisciplinary approach and to such extent.

Paper abstracts

1. Artemios Oikonomou (University of Nottingham)

The prosperity of Thesprotia, Greece. Evidence through the interdisciplinary study of glass
Thesprotia, one of the most remote regions in Greece, was inhabited from as early as the Palaeolithic period. The particular geomorphological terrain, with the mountainous and fragmented landscape, has been determinant in the formation of economic and social institutions throughout antiquity developing Thesprotia gradually developed into an important node of trade.
During the second half of 4th c. BC the cities of Elea, Gitana and Dymokastro were founded within a few years from one another. Built at geographically crucial locations that ensured the control of the valleys or the riverside crossings and sea routes, they evolved gradually into political, economic and administrative centers for the surrounding areas. The roman conquest in 167 BC brings the decline of the whole region and most of the cities were abandoned after the raid of the Romans.
In the present study an assemblage of glass objects coming from the three major Hellenistic cities of Thesprotia is investigated using innovative and state of the art analytical techniques. The main aim of this study is to improve our knowledge on the technology of the glass and the provenance of the material, thus providing valuable information on the position of the Hellenistic cities of Thesprotia in the commercial networks of this period. Through this knowledge, the socioeconomic interactions of the Thesprotians with the Greek world will be shown, identifying the prosperity of the region during the Hellenistic period.

 

2. Lee Perry (Israel antiquities authority/The university of Haifa) / Adi Erlich and Guy Bar Oz (University of Haifa)

Transformations in the Levantine economy under the Hellenistic umbrella: A zooarchaeological perspective from the site of Maresha (Israel)
Here we focus on the Hellenistic key-site of Maresha (Israel). Through zooarchaeological investigation of the animal remains, we firstly provide a reconstruction of the growing change/prosperity in the economy, transportation and commerce of the southern Levant cultures during this unique period.
The faunal composition in Maresha indicates a highly productive self-sustain city, with no significant dependency on the central regime. Here we notice the emerge of a more diverse animal economy, which has yet seen in earlier periods. It involves not only large mammals as cattle and caprovine, but also largely based on chicken - a species that is firstly seen in such high quantities, different fishes and some game meat.
Pig remains are very scarce in Maresha. Its sporadic representation emphasizes the dietary transition of some Levantine cultures towards poultry protein, as an efficient substitute for pork. This dietary trend is later increased, and had reached a crescendo during the Roman empire.
Far-reaching changes in the local economy are also reflected by the intensification of camel exploitation. As the site is located on a central crossroads, camels in Maresha were extensively exploited for transportation, but also for their meat and dairy.
The economic strategy taken by Hellenistic Maresha inhabitants led to a prosperity which is not evidence in earlier periods in the site. This welfare is reflected by all aspects of the material culture.

 

3. Nuha Agha (University of Haifa)

A Tale of Two Cities: faunal remains from Crusader Acre and Mamluk Safed
The Crusader (1099–1291) and Mamluk (1291–1516) periods are of special importance in the history of the Holy Land. The demographic, economic and administrative changes that took place in the transition between these two periods – from a Franco-Christian state that is closely linked with Western Europe, to a lesser province in an Islamic empire – left their footprints on its economy and shaped its character to a great extent even until modern times. Still, the archaeozoological research of the Crusader and Mamluk periods in the Holy Land is in its infancy, and very little is known even of some key sites, including the capital cities Acre and Safed. Acre was the most important harbor of the Crusader state, and served as its capital after the fall of Jerusalem; whereas Safed took its place as a capital of the Galilee in the Mamluk period. This paper presents an analysis of faunal remains from various archaeological contexts from these two cities in order to shed light on the Crusader and Mamluk animal economies. It is argued that the significant differences between the two periods derive from economic, religious and cultural factors.

 

4. Henriette Baron and Anna Elena Reuter (Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum)

What is prosperity in times of doom? Parallelising 6th century economic strategies and the mind-set of the Justinianic era.
The era of Justinian I. (527-565 AD) can be perceived as a period of restoration when the Roman Empire was resurrected in its splendour, now as a Christian state. Justinian’s reconquests, his efforts to secure the Danubian frontier, and his spectacular building programme seem to be tokens of a time of confidence and prosperity.
However, Justinian’s reign was haunted by catastrophes: the empire was afflicted by disastrous earthquakes, raids of Barbarians, civil unrest, climatic disturbances, and, above all, the horrors of the plague. Mischa Meier argued convincingly that the Byzantines perceived the trials of this era as tokens of imminent doom, that they expected the end of days anytime.
When working on a period of such social, ideological, and economic upheaval, can we think in the usual terms of progression and regression? Or are the archaeological finds remains of a time which is better measured by its own standards because it escapes the linearity of history?
We want to approach this question by reviewing economical subsistence modes as evidenced by plant and animal bone finds of the 4th to 7th centuries, with regard to linearity and ruptures. Focusing on the archaeological remains most closely linked to survival, we want to trace economical coping strategies and frame them with the mind-set of the era of Justinian I. In doing so, we want to find out whether our modern axioms of progression can be applied to a period when people seem to have felt that they have no future.

 

5. Ram Bouchnick (Institute for Galilean Archaeology Kinneret Academic College)

Zooarchaeology of the Roman influence on rival cultures: A view from Gaul and Judaea
The slaughtering and meat dissection patterns reflect valuable information about economies and cultures. The importance of animals in human societies extends beyond economical aspects and is frequently associated with cultural, ethnic and religious patterns.
In this paper we provide preliminary results from the ongoing analysis of Roman cultural-ethnic influences on rival cultures as reflected by animal bone surface modifications. Despite the great geographic and cultural distance between the Gauls in Dangstetten, and Jerusalem in Israel, many similarities have been found in Roman influences on meat consumption pattern among these cultures.
A study on animal remains found in Dangstetten, identified significant changes in Gaul slaughter and dissection patterns after the Roman conquest, compared to traditional Gaelic sites. Accordingly, a typical Roman slaughtering patterns were introduced in the Gaul sites, including evidence of expert butchers work, using heavy cutting tools such as axe and cleaver. On the other hand, in Jerusalem, while professional ritual slaughter were common even before the Roman conquest, in the Late Second Temple Period Roman influence on butchering patterns include the usage of Roman dissection tools (ax and cleaver). Hence the appearance of Roman cuisine characteristics in Gauls and Jewish bones assemblages may reflect Roman influence on both cultures.