Póczy Klára: Forschungen in Aquincum 1969- 2002 (Aquincum Nostrum 2. Budapest, 2003)
6. Die Wirtschaft Aquincums im Spiegel der neuen Funde - 6.3. Animals and Roman lifeways in Aquincum (Alice M. Choyke)
suddenly abandoned. 18 The high regard for pork as a commodity (BÖKÖNYI 1974, 219-220) is perhaps also reflected in the fact that pig bones may be found associated with ritual offerings in cemetery materials. It seems likely that pigs were kept as live animals at military centers in Pannónia and slaughtered according to need. 19 Horse (Equus caballus L.) and other equids such as ass and donkey (Equus asinus L.) are more commonly found in settlements where hauling was important. Since equids were not eaten, except possibly in moments of great food stress, it is hardly surprising that their remains are only rarely encountered in civilian urban centers. Horses were kept by the Celts. Their goddess of fertility, Epona, later taken onboard by the Romans, is customarily shown on horseback or surrounded by mares with foals. Despite their small size, Celtic horses were apparently looked upon with favor by the Romans for their sturdiness. Germanicus received a supply of them in A.D. 15 while he was campaigning against the Germans. 20 Romans also imported and bred larger horses. 21 From depictions on gravestones from some of the tombs lining the main roads in Aquincum it can be seen that these animals had a higher status than other equids, always occurring as the mounts of officers and cavalrymen. A bio-metric study was carried out on three almost complete adult horse skeletons (A.D. 2 nd-3 rd century) from the edge of a 18 Vörös, I., Allatcsontok [Animal bones]. In: (ed. Bíróné Sey K. et. al.) A balácai villagazdaság főépületének pincéje. [The cellar of the Baláca villa-farm's main building] Balácai Közlemények II, Veszprém, 1992, 270-272. BÖKÖNYI 1974 says that various kinds of hams and sausages were known to have been produced by the Romans. 19 Lauwerier, R., Animals in Roman Times in the Dutch Eastern River Area. Nederlandse Oudheden, 12, Groningen, 1988. 20 Tacitus, Annales II, 5, Budapest, 1970. 21 According to BÖKÖNYI 1974 Varro and Columella were the two Antique writers who discussed the questions of horse breeding most thoroughly, including questions of feeding, testing of stallions, selection of mares and the various diseases afflicting these animals. 22 Lyublyanovics, K Size variability in three Roman period horses from Aquincum. In: (ed. D. Ruscillo) Aging and Sexing, Oxbow Books, Oxford (in press). field outside the limes calvalry fort at Albertfalva. 22 Lyublyanovics determined that all three horses were stallions although the large size suggest they may have been geldings. Wither height estimations based on metapodial bones suggest that these horses belong to the large military of horse and that the phenotypic variability results from mixing of large Italian horses with a local horse stock. The horses can be described as heavily built. The average wither height for Roman military horses has been estimated (BÖKÖNYI 1974) at 142.9 cm although the 144 horses studied from Tác-Gorsium had an average withers height of 139.07 cm. 23 Mules and asses were important animals for the military in hauling equipment and supplies and in draught in general. Asses definitely can be considered imports from the Mediterranean area since they cannot be found (and by definition neither can mules) in this region before the Roman conquest. They were traditionally used to run reaping machines and mills. 24 Asses milk was held to have purgative value and was also used as a beauty treatment for high society women. Dogs (Canis familiáris L.) present a very variable picture during this period in Pannónia depending on whether one considers the animals kept by the native Celtic populations or the various breeds of dogs used by the Romans themselves. These latter dogs ranged in size from small lapdogs with thin legs, probably household pets in wealthy families, to strong German shepherd-size animals. It is thought, for example, that up to six breeds of dog may have lived in the town of Tác. 25 Most dogs however, were small to medium size and probably looked much like the pariah dogs of Eurasia. Larger dogs were probably used as herding or watch dogs. Many of the larger dogs were certainly used by the upper classes in hunting (in spite of the fact that so few bones 23 Bökönyi, S., Animal Husbandry and Hunting in Tác-Gorsium. Budapest, 1984, 61. 24 Toynbee, J. M. C, Animals in Roman Life and Art, Ithaca, New York, 1973, 15, 196, 295. Also see: White, K D., Roman Farming, Thames and Hudson, London, 1970. 25 BÖKÖNYI op. cit. 18, 23, 66.
