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)

Recent excavation work and the faunal material Faunal material from the spate of rescue excavation either awaits analysis or is currently under analysis but the simple mass of finds means that inevitably backlogs will buildup. However, the potential for comparing the faunas exploited at contemporary sites of different kinds has perhaps never before existed. Furthermore, sudents have begun to take on individual site materials for their diploma work in the newly established 'bone' laboratory which should eventually help alleviate some of these problems. At the same time, as a result of the pressures of rapid excavation, a separate trend may be observed. On the one hand, it is sometimes necessary to work in the mud and cold - no chance here for the niceties of excavation techniques. On the other hand, archaeologists are adopting new recording techniques

49 and screening as a response to the need to producing reports quickly. There is reason here for a great deal of optimism for the more efficient processing of the animal bone material as well. Animal keeping in the territórium around Aquincum It cannot be sufficiently emphasized that saying anything about animal keeping around Aquincum and the role of animals in the economy of the surrounding middle sized villa-farms is very problematic if the only source of information is faunal remains. Faunal remains directly reflect modes of consumption and only very indirectly tell us something about production traditions. Before they arrive on the archaeozoologist's table, bones pass through numerous filtering processes: primary and secondary butchering, re-distribution to indiviual households and workshops, natural destruction and excavation methods. All of these may bias any attempt to extapolate back to the original live animal in a herd. 49 For example, the Harris matrix recording technique. Regular examination of macro remains of plants adds a new dimension to our understanding of the dietary customs of different peoples. The faunal assemblages which have been analyzed to date, originate from sites in the Civil Town, a mithraeum in the legionary fortress

50

, a cemetery

51

, south of the Military Town

52

, the area of a 1

st century fort and stone building located north of the Military Town

53 and two nearby military forts on the limes.

54 Some of these materials have been published others not. Differences between different kinds of sites may be seen in the graph. (Fig. 3) Quite a number of the bones have been identified but not analyzed so many of the remarks must rely on impressions of special features gathered during identification work. What little information can be gleaned concerning animal keeping practices around and in Aquincum. A hint about cattle keeping at any rate comes from the bones found at the Firemen's Headquarters in the Civil Town. In the first place, the overwhelming majority of the cattle bones recovered here come from mature animals, as is the case in general on Pannonian sites. Furthermore, where sex could be determined (on horncores and complete metapodials) most of the animals brought to Aquincum were cows. Eleven complete metatarsals, preserved in full length,

55 could be used in estimating the stature of Roman Period cattle from this site. According to the small values of relative proximal breadth (expressed as the % of greatest length, "Nobis index"), all metatarsals originate from cows

56 which were of small and medium size respec50 House of the tribunus laticlavius KOCSIS 1991. 51 Budapest, Ladik street: ZSIDI 1997[1998]. 52 Budaújlak 6 Kolossy Square Unpublished excavation from E. Márity, 1993. 53 Budapest, Filatorigát ZSIDI 2002/2. 54 Albertfalva SZIRMAI 2002/2, 2003/1., Campona, excavation of Ferenc Fülep, 1949-1957, 1960, Fülep F., Pannónia Research in Hungary, Aquincum. In: (A. Lengyel and G.T.B. Radan eds.) The Archaeology of Roman Pannónia, Budapest, 1980, 33-56. 55 Measurements after Driesch, A., A guide to the measurement of animal bones from archaeological sites. Peabody Museum, Bulletin 1, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1976. 56 Nobis, G, Ur- und frühgeschichtlicher Rinder Nord- und Mitteldeutschlands. Zeitschr. f. Tierzüchtg. u.nd Züchtungsbiol. 63 (1954) 155-194. The value of the Nobis index is greater than 24% for bulls and should be at least 21% for