Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.
To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to upgrade your browser.
Fish and Fishing Communities
Gabriele Carenti
Trevor OrchardArlene FradkinRichard Hoffmann
Arturo Morales-Muñiz
Kristine Richter
Sandrine GrouardAbstract Book, 19th Fish Remains Working Group Meeting, Alghero-Stintino
Related papers
19th Fish Remains Working Group Meeting Alghero-Stintino. Abstract book
2017
The abstract book of the 19 International Meeting of FRWG.
Working Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (WGHIST)
2020
The ICES Working Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (WGHIST) is a forum for interdisciplinary research on social-ecological change in marine and fisheries systems over multi-decadal to centennial timescales. WGHIST comprises a diverse group of researchers, including marine biologists, fisheries scientists, historians, and historical ecologists, from Europe and North America, as well as Australia, Russia, and South Africa. WGHIST provided a platform for the sharing and reporting of a wide range of research on marine and fisheries systems change over time, including the use of novel and non-traditional data sources and methodologies to identify and interpret these changes. WGHIST members also worked with the ICES Secretariat to forward digital tools to make historical resources more accessible and regarding WGHIST’s potential to support ICES Fisheries and Ecosystem Overviews. WGHIST engaged with the larger research community on the following manuscripts, still in development o...
EAA Vilnius 2016 - Session TH1-20: Regional and chronological development of fishing: its significance in past economies and their socioeconomic dynamics. Programme, Abstracts, Call for Papers
Fishing was one of the simplest sources of livelihood in prehistory. Where available, fish constitutes an important food resource. Apart from the nutritional value, all parts of the fish have been utilised for various purposes. Humans’ adaptive and innovative ability to conquer new ecological niches and to respond to environmental stress led to the invention of new fishing technologies and e.g., mass-harvesting facilities and highly organised procurement strategies. Sometimes fisheries are labour-intensive and collective effort may have been required. Hence, fishing techniques may be closely related to the socioeconomic, cultural, and sociopolitical systems in fishing communities, as well as to population dynamics. Cultural constraints, behavioural interactions, and social norms might have regulated fishing and the consumption of aquatic resources. Exploitation technologies might express group identity, and provide insights into contacts and communication between different fishing societies. Still, aquatic resources and procurement technologies are often poorly visible in the archaeological record. Therefore, knowledge about the importance of fish in prehistoric subsistence is often quite uncertain. This session aims to deepen current knowledge within the framework of local, supra-regional, and diachronic development and application of active and passive fishing techniques in the harvesting of aquatic resources as well as other linked activities. Where direct evidence of fish utilisation is insufficient, various forms of indirect evidence are employed. Settlement patterns, site location, fishing technology, and resource specialisation reflect the utilisation of fish as a food source, or as a source of raw materials. Therefore, apart from studies utilising archaeological fishing-related materials, we would also like to encourage researchers contributing studies applying analogous data, from the viewpoint of, e.g., ethnography, anthropology, and ethnohistory to help build the frames of reference and further our understanding about fishing as a phenomenon and its long-term dynamics.
GSHDL Open Workshop 2015, Session 1.1: Fish(ing) communities and fishing technologies in inland waters, rivers and at the coast. Programme, Abstracts, Call for Papers
OPEN WORKSHOP 25TH - 27TH MARCH, 2015, CAU KIEL Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the Last 12,000 Years: The Creation of Landscapes IV Call for Papers (Deadline 15th January 2015) Session 1-1: Fish(ing) communities and fishing technologies in inland waters, rivers and at the coast Fish is an important food resource for human societies which live in various aquatic landscapes. The utilization of fish is self-evident in water rich areas but infrequently proven by archaeological findings. Therefore the proportion of fish in the human diet of past societies is still quite unknown. Certainly it varied through time and between different regions. In this session we want to collect multi-disciplinary information about fishing technologies and exploited fish species communities from different time periods and regions and discuss the implications for societies, settlement systems and use concepts of the landscape. Information can come from finds of prehistoric fishing equipment, fish bone analysis, ethnographical sources and historical evidence as well as isotope analysis. Fishing gear (both passive gear like nets, basket traps and fishing fences or similar structures and active gear like hooks, spears, leisters and tridents) is relative simple constructed, stable in its development and widely distributed, but surely there are differences that might provide insights into contacts and communication between different fishing societies. Fish bone analysis provides detailed information about fish resources, the selectivity of fishery, seasonality, the area of fishing activities and the environmental circumstances. We encourage contributors to announce talks concerning all the mentioned topics. The session should demonstrate possibilities and limits of the different sources and deepen the inter-disciplinary discussion about the former use of various types of waters, resources, and equipment.
Fishes - Culture - Environment Through Archaeoichthyology, Ethnography & History
in Poznan & Torun, Poland. Środowisko I Kultura (Environment and Culture) vol. 7., 2009
HIS 350L UG Seminar History of Local Fisheries
Topics: Texas Gulf fisheries, fishing communities, immigration and migrant labor, marine science, indigenous knowledge, policy and politics, intellectual history The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, enacted to promote conservation and scientific management principles, has been challenged and amended many times. The 1976 Act aimed to slow the depletion of fish stocks, like cod, halibut, and flounder. The Act established eight regional councils to draw up fish management plans, and extended the limits of national waters from 12 to 200 nautical miles. Because it attempted to control so many variables, the Act triggered a cascade of unintended consequences. For example, the Act limited foreign vessels access to U.S. waters, but it inadvertently eased the first-time entry of Americans into commercial fishing. Intending to help the fledging businesses, the federal government subsidized larger fleets and fish processing vessels. Consequently, many other stocks like salmon, oysters, and blue crab are at the point of extinction. More fishermen in bigger boats began to chase after fewer fish. The regional councils then stepped in by shortening the fishing season and limiting the size of the catch. To improve yields exogenous species were introduced, and with them diseases which further compromised the fish and the fish-dependent communities. Meanwhile, cheaper imports have forced local processors to drop the prices paid to the local fishermen for their catch, and to continually lower the wages paid workers for processing it. Since they cannot persuade locals to accept the low-paying jobs, the processors entice migrant workers to fill the seasonal jobs. Once the season is over, the migrant workers do not return to their country of origin to the consternation of the impoverished locals who have little tolerance for the newly arrived immigrants. Many of the immigrants are themselves dislocated by globalization pressures on their regional economies. All aggrieved parties have looked for someone else to blame; the most fun to blame have been the bureaucrats and scientists from the regional government agencies and the science centers. Most critically, everyone began to doubt the science. In 1996, a simple but profound change was made to the Fisheries Conservation Act in response to different lawsuits, political pressure, and sheer exasperation. One of the amendments to the Act requires that all fish management plans include socioeconomic assessments of the fishing-dependent communities that the plans affect adversely. The amendment mandated a new type of research, focused on fishermen and fisherwomen, not just the disappearing fish. The amendment radically suggested that people who had fished an area for generations might know something about fish and the fragile ecologies in which they all lived. The new research not only factors in the beliefs and behavior of people but it is qualitative in nature. The research is based on oral histories, observation, and participation of the researcher in the activities of the community. This sea-change in approach is of interest for many reasons. One reason is that it touches on the lives of identifiable people and communities that are directly affected by the laws. Quite a bit also is revealed about migrant and immigrant labor in fisheries and fishing communities. The individuals interviewed for the studies have very different perspectives and knowledge than the researchers who do the studies. To date, half dozen studies have been completed along the new guidelines. None of the studies have addressed the characteristically unique shrimping industry along the Texas Gulf. The study of marine fishery legislation in this region promises to yield insights about the limits and complexities of policy, science, and the environmental crises facing one the largest Texas industries.
Fish and fishing communities: Understanding ancient and modern fisheries through archaeological fish remains
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2019
Situated knowledge
The Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2024
Situated knowledge is a feminist epistemological theory that emphasizes that knowledge is embodied and partial, that it always comes from a particular location or context, and that it generates its own politics through the coming together of intersecting forms of geographical, historical, and social difference.
Comune di
Stintino
Comune di
Alghero
Fish and Fishing Communities
Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
through Archaeological Fish Remains
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
ABSTRACT BOOK
Organizing Commeettee
Barbara Wilkens (archeozoowilkens@gmail.com): Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del
Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari Alghero, Italy.
Gabriele Carenti (gabrielecarenti@gmail.com): Centro Studi sulla Civiltà del Mare e per la
Valorizzazione del Golfo e del Parco dell'Asinara Stintino, Italy.
Cooperating members
Stefano Masala (sfnmasala@gmail.com): Università degli Studi di Sassari Alghero, Italy
Elisabetta Grassi (eli.grassi@libero.it): Università degli Studi di Sassari Sassari, Italy
Elisa Meloni (mel.elisa@alice.it): Università degli Studi di Sassari Sassari, Italy
Alessandra Cosso (alessan.cosso@gmail.com): Università degli Studi di Sassari Sassari, Italy
Cristiano Salis (cristiano.salis.uni@gmail.com): Università degli Studi di Sassari Donigala,
Oristano, Italy
Sandra Cocco (sandracocco13@gmail.com): Università degli Studi di Sassari Sassari, Italy
Scientific Commeettee
László Bartosiewicz (bartwicz@yahoo.com): Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies
Stockholm, Sweden.
Philippe Béarez (bearez@mnhn.fr): French National Center for Scientific Research Paris, France.
Gabriele Carenti (gabrielecarenti@gmail.com): Centro Studi sulla Civiltà del Mare e per la
Valorizzazione del Golfo e del Parco dell'Asinara Stintino, Italy.
Arlene Fradkin (afradkin@fau.edu): Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University USA.
Sónia Gabriel (sgabriel@dgpc.pt): Laboratório de Arqueociências, Direcção Geral do Património
Cultural Lisboa, Portugal.
Daniel Makowiecki (Daniel.Makowiecki@umk.pl): Department of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus
University Toruń, Poland.
Arturo Morales Muñiz (arturo.morales@uam.es): Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid Madrid, Spain.
Kenneth Ritchie (kcritchie@hotmail.com): Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark.
Harry K. Robson (hkrobson@hotmail.co.uk): Department of Archaeology, University of York York,
United Kingdom.
Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo (eufrasia.rosello@uam.es): Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid,
Spain.
Wim Van Neer (wvanneer@naturalsciences.be): Department of Paleontology, Royal Belgian
Institute of Natural Sciences Brussels, Belgium.
Barbara Wilkens (archeozoowilkens@gmail.com): Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del
Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari Alghero, Italy.
Editorial Coordination
Gabriele Carenti, Barbara Wilkens
Graphic Design
Gabriele Carenti
Print date
September 2017
Organization supported by
Associazione Culturale Tabularasa
2
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Fish and Fishing Communities
Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
through Archaeological Fish Remains
Index
Index
Detailed schedule
Schedule
List of lecture abstracts in alphabetical order
Number of participants, papers and posters presented
in former FRWG Meetings
3
3
5
13
15
60
4
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Fish and Fishing Communities
Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
through Archaeological Fish Remains
19th FRWG DETAILED SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1st
10:00 Registration
16:30 Opening Remarks:
Barbara Wilkens and Gabriele Carenti (Organizers of the 19th ICAZ FRWG);
Roberto Furesi (Delegate of the Rector of the Sassari University); Mario Bruno
(Mayor of Alghero); Raffaele Sari (President of the META foundation); Piero
Bartoloni (Professor of Phoenician and Punic Archaeology); Arturo Morales Muñiz
(founder member of the ICAZ FRWG).
18:00 Reception
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2nd
09:00 Opening Session 1
Session 1: Commercial fishing including storage and trade of fish
chair: Philippe Béarez
Luis Roberto Miranda Muñoz, The fish from the Paloma village, Lima, Peru.
Lee Graña, The RomanoBritish fisheries: An integrated approach.
Nayeli Jiménez Cano, Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo and Arturo Morales Muñíz,
Ichthyoarchaeology from the Mayan World: Transforming palaeocultural and
palaeoecological paradigms in the Northern Lowlands from the Classic (500900
d.C) to the PostClassic (9001400 d.C) periods.
Sandrine Grouard, Chronology of West Indian palaeofishery.
Frank Salvadori, The ichthyofauna findings from Late Antiquity and Middle Ages
Italian contexts.
Leif Jonsson, Stockfish and dried pike in Medieval Uppsala, a case study of the
recognition of dried fish products in urban zooarchaeology.
5
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
10:30 Discussion
11:00 Coffee Break
11:30 Session 1, continued
Lembi Lõugas, Eve Rannamäe , Andres Tvauri and Freydis Ehrlich, Duty on
fish: Analyses of animal remains found from the UueKastre castle and customs
station site between Russia and Estonia.
Hanna Kivikero, Fish products in the Åland islands during the Early Modern
period.
Ambra Zambernardi, The nonfish or the hyperfish of the Mediterranean: Bluefin
tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and its fishing communities through the Tonnara culture.
12:15 Opening Session 2
Session 2: Freshwater fishes: fishing and aquaculture
chair:
Ying Zhang, Freshwater fishing strategies in the Neolithic Yangtze River region:
Environment and culture.
Alfred Galik and Elisabeth Stephan, Fishing at the Early Neolithic Hornstaad
Hörnle site at Lake Constance, Germany.
Mirosława ZabilskaKunek, Neolithic fish remains from Rakushechny Yar, South
Russia.
13:00 Discussion
13:30 Lunch
15:00 Session 2, continued
Chong Yu, The exploitation of fish in the Pearl River Delta, South China during
the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Angela Maccarinelli, Food for the wealthy? An overview of the role of freshwater
fish in Medieval England.
Simone Häberle and Heide Hüster Plogmann, Archaeological and Historical
evidence of fish food supply, fish farming, and fish trading in Medieval and Early
Modern Switzerland.
15:45 Opening Session 3
6
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Session 3: Dawn of fisheries: Stone Age fishing techniques
chair:
Emilie Guillaud, Philippe Bearez, MarieHélène Moncel, Arturo Morales and Wim
Van Neer, Exploitation of aquatic environments during the Middle Palaeolithic in
Western Europe.
Kenneth Ritchie, Harry Robson, Fishing in Stone Age Southern Scandinavia.
16:15 Discussion
16:45 Coffee Break
17:15 Session 3, continued
Veerle Linseele, Donatella Usai and Sandro Salvatori, Fishing at Mesolithic Al
Khiday (Central Sudan, 7th millennium cal BC): Multidisciplinary data and their
anthropological implications.
Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo, Leif Jonsson, José Luis Arribas Pastor, Laura
Llorente Rodriguez and Arturo Morales Muñiz, The European Hake (Merluccius
merluccius L.): A deepwater fishery during the Neolithic?
Ivana Živaljević and Sofija Stefanović, Neolithic fishing landscapes: Case studies
from Serbian sites in the gorges and in the plains.
Kevin Lidour, Philippe Béarez, Sophie Méry, Akab Island, new results on fishing
at a Late Neolithic stratified site in the Persian Gulf.
Anaïs Marrast and Philippe Béarez, Ancient fishing at the Neolithic settlement of
Ra’s al Hamra 6 (Sultanate of Oman).
18:30 Discussion
19:00 Close
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3rd
09:00 Opening Session 4
Session 4: Life in ancient and modern fishing communities. Part A: Ethnicity
chair:
Tarek Oueslati, A French Fish Event at the turn of the 10th century? Environment,
economy and ethnicity in maritime Flanders.
7
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Sónia Gabriel and André Teixeira, Fishing in the Straits of Gibraltar in Late
Medieval times: Food in Islamic contexts from the archaeological site of Qsar es
Seghir, Morocco.
Ivana Živaljević, Nemanja Marković and Milomir Maksimović, Food worthy of
kings and saints: Fish consumption in the Medieval monastery Studenica (Serbia).
Emma Maltin, Ethnicity expressed in fish consumption?
Jan K. Bakker, Fish consumption amongst the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews in
PostMedieval Amsterdam.
Omri Lernau, Remains of kosher and nonkosher fish in excavated settlements in
Israel.
10:30 Discussion
11:00 Coffee Break
11:30 Session 4, continued
Session 4: Life in ancient and modern fishing communities. Part B
chair:
Tatiana Theodoropoulou, Bringing the sea into the cave: Fish and other marine
animal remains from the Neolithic cave of Alepotrypa, Diros (Greece).
Stephanie Emra and Alfred Galik, Fishing strategies at the coastal site of Çukuriçi
Höyük in Western Anatolia at the dawn of the Bronze Age.
Mari Yamasaki, Fishing and connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze
Age.
Wim Wouters, 1,000 years of fishing and fish consumption in the town of
Mechelen (Belgium).
Philippe Béarez and Laurie Bouffandeau, Fishing for survival: The forgotten
slaves of Tromelin Island (Indian Ocean).
Matthew Campbell, A highly fragrant comestible: The cartilaginous fish
(Chondrichthyes) in PreEuropean Maori New Zealand.
13:00 Discussion
13:30 Lunch
15:00 Poster Session
chair:
Session 1: Commercial fishing including storage and trade of fish
Alfredo Carannante, Garum production in Pompeii and Campania in the last two
millennia: A multidisciplinary approach
8
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Session 2: Freshwater fishes: fishing and aquaculture
Frank Salvadori and Barbara WIlkens, Project SMaLL: The fish remains from
San Martino Site (Lomaso, TN).
Yevheniia Yanish, Results of the analysis of the fish bones from the
archaeological excavations of the Scythian hill fort, Severynivka.
Eric J. Guiry, Suzanne NeedsHowarth, Alicia L. Hawkins, Trevor Orchard,
Isotopic analyses of archaeological fish track significant human impacts on Lake
Ontario nutrient cycle.
Session 3: Dawn of fisheries: Palaeolithic fishing techniques
Clara Boulanger and Alfred Pawlik, Coastal subsistence strategies at Bubog I
(Ilin Island, Mindoro, Philippines) from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Middle
Holocene.
Lucie Coudert, François Bon, Laurent Bruxelles, Jessie Cauliez, Asamerew
Dessie, Elise Dufour, Denis Fiorillo, Marc Gosselin, Lamya Khalidi, Michel
Lemoine, Joséphine Lesur, Clément Ménard, and Romain Mensan, Change in fish
lacustrine communities in the northern part of the East African Rift Valley (Ethiopia,
Djibouti) between 11500 and 2000 cal BC.
Natalie Roski, Wim Van Neer, Wim Wouters and Jörg Linstädter, Marine fish
exploitation during the EpiPalaeolithic and Early Neolithic of Abri Ifri Oudadane,
North East Morocco.
Session 4: Life in ancient and modern fishing communities
Olga Krylovich, Fish remains from an ancient midden on Chuginadak Island,
Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
Gabriele Carenti and Kirsi Lorentz, Fishing in Ancient Cyprus: Ichthyology and
human bioarchaeology.
Nayeli G. Jiménez Cano, Jeff Bryant and Marilyn Masson, Ichthyoarchaeological
analysis at Mayapán: PostClassical fish use and environmental implications.
Session 5: Fish food supply: historical and archaeological data
José Barbieux, Etienne Louis and Tarek Oueslati, A hundred rotten fish in a pit.
Historical and archaeological evidence of seizure and burial of fish improper for
sale in the 18th century city of Tourcoing, France.
Session 7: Advance in Methodology, Microbiology and Applied Chemistry
Elise Dufour, Benoît Clavel, Gabriela Borges, Sophie Cersoy, Matthieu Lebon,
Olivier Tombret, Denis Fiorillo and Laurent Simon, Fish, where are you from?
Bone collagen analysis of remains from the 8th to the 17th centuries in Northern
France.
Elise Dufour, Lucie Coudert, Joséphine Lesur, Marc Gosselin, Michel Lemoine,
9
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Denis Fiorillo. Kelig Mahé, Romain Elleboode, Xavier Gutherz and Jessie Cauliez,
Timing of fishing of Tilapinii… but which one?
Alicia L. Hawkins and Suzanne NeedsHowarth, Are all identifications created
equal? An experiment in interanalyst variation.
Anaïs Chalant and Benoît Clavel, Sampling methods applied to the Medieval
archaeological site of Boves castle (Somme, France).
Emilie Guillaud, Arturo Morales, Eufrasia Roselló, Philippe Bearez and Marie
Hélène Moncel, Taphonomic analysis of fish bone accumulations produced by
Yellowlegged Gull (Larus michahellis, Laridae) in Chafarines Island, Spain.
17:15 Coffee Break
17:45 Opening Session 5
Session 5: Fish food supply: historical and archaeological data
chair:
Alessandra Tarter, Marco Bertolini and Ursula Thun Hohenstein, Exploitation of
fish resources during the Recent Bronze Age in the Polesine area: The cases of
Campestrin, Larda and Amolara sites (RovigoNortheastern Italy).
Aurélia Borvon, New data on the consumption of fish from the Alsace Region,
Eastern France, from the Bronze Age to the First World War.
Arlene Fradkin, Colonial and Modern fisheries in the Indian River Lagoon,
Florida, USA.
18:30 Discussion
19:00 Close
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4th
09:00 Transfert from Alghero to Stintino Museo della Tonnara
10:00 Visit to the museum conducted by Salvatore Rubino (Scientific Director of
the Tonnara Museum Stintino) and welcome ceremony: Esmeralda Ughi (curator
of the Tonnara Museum Stintino); Antonio Diana (Mayor of Stintino); Francesca
Demontis (Cultural heritage council member of the Stintino community).
11:00 Coffee Break
11:30 Opening Session 7
10
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Session 7: Advance in Methodology, Microbiology and Applied Chemistry
chair: Salvatore Rubino, Elise Dufour
David Orton, Using fish bone data to construct longterm economic timeseries:
Potential and limitations of a new approach.
Ryan Desrosiers and David Orton, Understanding variation in fish bone isotopes:
A bigmedium data approach
Laura Llorente Rodríguez, Oliver E. Craig, Rachelle Martyn, Arturo Morales
Muñiz, Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo, Eduardo González Gómez de Agüero and
Carlos Fernández Rodríguez, Unrevealing hake fishing with isotopes through
time.
Richard C. Hoffmann, Who dined extensively on fish in Medieval Europe? A
critical consumer reads stable isotope analyses.
Thomas C. A. Royle, Eric J. Guiry and Dongya Y. Yang, Ancient DNA and stable
isotope analysis of fish remains from Charlie Lake Cave (HbRf39), British
Columbia, Canada.
Gregory Neils Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco Massari,
Castrense Savojardo, Sara De Fanti, Agostino Leone, Pier Luigi Martelli, Andrea
Luchetti, Barbara Mantovani, Rita Casadio, Arturo Morales, Vedat Onar, Nezir
Yaşar Toker, Tom Moens and Fausto Tinti, The impact of fisheries on bluefin tuna
(Thunnus thynnus) over two millennia (2nd century BC – 20th century AD): Genetic
and genomic analyses of ancient tuna remains from the Mediterranean, Atlantic,
and Black Seas.
13:00 Discussion
13:30 Lunch
15:00 Session 7, continued
Simon Hickinbotham, Matthew Collins, Kristine Korzow Richter, Krista McGrath,
Jessica Hendy and Nicole Bovin, ZooMS for everyone.
Kristine Korzow Richter, Jennifer Harland, Andrew A. K. G. Jones, Krista
McGrath, Camilla Speller and Matthew J. Collins, Widening the net: ZooMS
identification for fish.
Susan D. deFrance and Michelle J. LeFebvre, Problems and issues in Ancient
Caribbean fisheries research.
Jen Harland and Wim Van Neer, Weird fish: Pathological fish bones and what we
can do with them.
11
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
16:00 Discussion
16:30 Coffee Break
17:00 Closing Remarks and proposals for the 20th Fish Remains Working Group
18:30 Transfer to Capo Falcone
20:00 Reception and Social Dinner
23:00 Transfer to Alghero
OCTOBER 5th-7th
10:00 October 5th: Start Field Trip
17:00 October 7th: End Field Trip
12
14
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Fish and Fishing Communities
Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
through Archaeological Fish Remains
List of lecture abstracts in alphabetical order
Jan K. Bakker*
* Amsterdam Centre for Ancient Studies and Archaeology, University of Amsterdam
(Turfdraagsterspad 9, 1012 XT Amsterdam, The Netherlands); j.k.bakker@uva.nl; +
31205253784
Fish consumption amongst the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews in Post
Medieval Amsterdam
Keywords: Amsterdam; Waterlooplein; Judaism; Ichthyoarchaeology
This preliminary study explores the potential differences in fish consumption
between the 17th and 18th century AD members of Amsterdam’s two major Jewish
communities, the Ashkenazim and Sephardim, by examining the fish remains
found in several cesspits at the former predominantly Jewish Vlooienburg
neighborhood. Differences in customs and rites between these two communities,
which is thought to have led to many serious disputes between them throughout
Early Modern times, may potentially be reflected by the fish remains found within
these archaeological complexes. This is based on the hypothesis that the
Sephardi Jews originating from the Iberian Peninsula (mainly Portugal) who came
to settle in Amsterdam, as well as their later descendants, were more accustomed
to consuming marine fish. In contrast, the Ashkenazi may have been more familiar
with consuming freshwater fish as a result of the more landlocked regions (e.g.
present day Germany, Czech Republic and Poland) from where they originated.
Because trends, market supplies, and financial wealth may have very well
influenced what kinds of fish these people ate or had access to, a comparison is
made with several nonJewish Amsterdam complexes.
15
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
José Barbieux, Etienne Louis and Tarek Oueslati*
* CNRS University of Lille (Domaine Universitaire du Pont de Bois B.P. 60149, 59653 Villeneuve
d’Ascq, France); tarek.oueslati@univlille3.fr; +33 6 89 14 93 16.
A hundred rotten fish in a pit. Historical and archaeological evidence of
seizure and burial of fish improper for sale in the 18th century city of
Tourcoing, France
Keywords: Fish market; Quality control; History; Archaeology
The Main Square in the city of Tourcoing (France) was excavated in 1982. An
unusual discovery within a shallow pit motivated the excavator to preserve the
entire fill of this structure for future research. In 2016 this material was sieved and
studied in our zooarchaeology laboratory. We identified over 100 whole haddock
skeletons buried with their skin, which measured between 50 and 60 cm in total
length. The ichthyoarchaeological analysis alongside a historical study of the
preserved archives in the area demonstrated the seizure of a stock of fish
improper for sale. In this paper we will describe how fish markets operated and the
type controls imposed upon fishmongers. We will provide examples of violations to
the rules, seizures and trials recorded in the local archives.
Philippe Béarez* and Laurie Bouffandeau
* UMR 7209 CNRS/MNHN, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, (55 Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris,
France); bearez@mnhn.fr; +33140793736
Fishing for survival: The forgotten slaves of Tromelin Island (Indian Ocean)
Keywords: Island; Hostile environment; Subsistence fishery; Indian Ocean
In July 1761, a ship coming from Madagascar was on its way to Mauritius to
clandestinely deliver its cargo of slaves. Unfortunately, the ship was grounded on
the island of Tromelin, and a few survivors took refuge there. The remains of the
wreck were used to construct a small boat so that the French crew could return to
Madagascar. They left behind 60 slaves, promising to return and rescue them.
Since 2006, under the archaeological program "Forgotten Slaves", a
multidisciplinary team has explored the settlement of the Malagasy slaves
abandoned on the island. Thousands of animal bone remains have been found at
the tip of the island where the slaves stayed after the departure of the French
crew. These food remains, accumulated during the 15 years of their forced stay on
Tromelin, testify to how these people survived. While most of this food waste
consists of seabirds, fish and sea turtle remains are also present. The fish remains
16
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
are surprisingly scant, which is surprising on a small island where the ocean is
omnipresent. However, the swell reaches the island without any obstacles and
continually breaks, making the approach to the shore dangerous. Moreover, the
origin of the slaves is unknown. They may have come from the plateaus of
Madagascar and thus were not fishermen. The identification of the fish remains
indicates relatively high species diversity, with at least 11 families represented.
The fish consumed are also of various sizes, and most of them may have been
caught from the shoreline, though larger fish probably required angling from a
boat. Although it had a limited accessible coastline, Tromelin appears to have
been rich in resources. The diversity of the species found in the excavations
testifies to the skill and opportunism of the inhabitants of the island. This study
addresses the conditions and problems of survival in a pristine but confined and
hostile coastal environment.
Aurélia Borvon*
* Independant researcher UMR 7041 ArScAn Equipe Archéologies Environnementales, Nanterre
& Laboratoire d’Anatomie Comparée, Oniris (École Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de
l’Alimentation, NantesAtlantique); 16 rue Gabriel Goudy 44200 Nantes FRANCE;
aureliageronimo@aol.com; aurelia.borvon@mae.uparis10.fr; +33603470747
New data on the consumption of fish from the Alsace Region, Eastern
France, from the Bronze Age to the First World War
Keywords: Fish consumption; Diachrony; Alsace; France
Until recently, very few fish studies were available on the historical periods for the
Alsace region in Eastern France. The recent study of several archaeological sites,
however, brings new knowledge about the consumption of fish for this region. The
data come from different types of sites (abbey, urban, etc.) and structures
(latrines, habitat, etc.) dating to the Roman, Medieval, and Modern periods. The
assemblages vary at each site, ranging from ca. 150 to 3500 bones, of which 40
to over 800 were identified. Two sites, one from the Bronze Age and one from the
First World War, had only a few bones, one and nine respectively. Various species
were identified, consisting mostly of freshwater species, such as cyprinids, pike,
and stickleback. The one bone from the Bronze Age is a Wels catfish vertebra,
which provides new evidence for the presence of this species in Western Europe.
Migratory fish are also present, consisting mostly of European eel. Also, there
were several marine species, such as herring, which is surprising especially for
the earlier contexts because of the distance of these sites from the sea. Herring is
found in contexts from the Roman period to the First World War.
17
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Clara Boulanger1 and Alfred Pawlik2
1
2
UMR 7194, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Musée de l'Homme 7, place du Trocadéro
75016 Paris; School of Culture, History & Language, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (Acton
ACT 2601); clara.boulanger@gmail.com, +33640647030
Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines Diliman (Albert Hall, Lakandula
Street, Quezon City, 101 Metro Manila); afpawlik@up.edu.ph
Coastal subsistence strategies at Bubog I (Ilin Island, Mindoro, Philippines)
from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene
Keywords: Australo-Melanesian; Ichthoyfauna; Mangrove swamps; Coral reefs
The Bubog I rockshelter (Ilin Island, Southwestern Mindoro, Philippines) has
revealed a humaninduced shellmidden spanning from the Terminal Pleistocene
to the Middle Holocene. Several vertebrate remains have been recovered here
mostly from marine environments. This unique study for an island in Southeast
Asia highlights the subsistence behaviour of an AustraloMelanesian group of
people who were mainly based on fishing and crabbing as well as the exploitation
of terrestrial microvertebrates. The inhabitants of Bubog I developed skills to live
on the coasts of the small island of Ilin, exploiting the surrounding coral reefs and
mangrove swamps. Reefal taxa such as Scaridae, Labridae, Acanthuridae and
Balistidae have been identified at the highest possible taxonomic level, as well as
predators such as Carcharhinidae, Muraenidae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae,
Lethrinidae and the anecdotal presence of Scombridae. Mangrove swamps are
also nurseries for some species of these families. From this diversity, both in taxa
and environments, the inhabitants of Bubog I most likely developed a wide set of
fishing and catching techniques. They further developed some specific knowledge
as shown by the presence in high quantity of poisonous Tetraodontiformes fish
remains (Ostraciidae, Tetraodontidae and Diodontidae). At the light of proportions
of crustacean and fish remains versus mammal remains, mangrove foraging in
Bubog I was interestingly replaced by ca. 6000 BP by tropical rainforests foraging
when the development of the swamps was at its maximum in the Philippines.
Matthew Campbell*
* CFG Heritage Ltd (132 Symonds Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010, New Zealand);
mat.c@cfgheritage.com; +6421437555
A highly fragrant comestible: The cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes) in Pre
European Maori New Zealand
Keywords: Sharks and rays; Vertebrae; New Zealand
While the importance of sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes) in PreEuropean Maori
18
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
economies in New Zealand is clear from ethnographic sources, archaeological
evidence of shark and ray fisheries is extremely limited. This paper examines the
ethnographic literature on shark and ray fisheries and the rather limited evidence
of sharks and rays in the archaeological record. The analysis of approximately
6500 Chondrichthyes vertebrae from the NRD site (R11/859) near Auckland is
presented.
Alfredo Carannante*
* Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale” (Via Lieti 51B Napoli Italy); alcarann@yahoo.it;
+393339095066
Garum production in Pompeii and Campania in the last two millennia: A
multidisciplinary approach
Keywords: Garum; Fish sauces; Pompeii; Roman period; Campania
Pompeii was one of the most important garum production centres in the Roman
Empire. Recent ichthyoarchaeological analyses on fish remains from Pompeii and
other archaeological sites reveal details on garum and fish sauce production
processes in ancient Campania. A multidisciplinary approach allows for the
reconstruction of the fishing techniques and seasonality patterns involved in this
industry. A comparison of the Imperial Age data with Campanian Medieval sources
and modern ethnographical research shows the continuity in fish sauce production
in Campania over the last two millennia.
Gabriele Carenti1 and Kirsi Lorentz2
1
2
Centro Studi sulla Civiltà del Mare e per la Valorizzazione del Golfo e del Parco dell'Asinara
(Sassari, Italy); gabrielecarenti@gmail.com; +393204611050
Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute;
k.lorentz@cyi.ac.cy
Fishing in Ancient Cyprus: Ichthyology and human bioarchaeology
Keywords: Mediterranean; Cyprus; External Auditory Exostoses; Fish remains;
Bibliographic data
Activities related to the exploitation of maritime natural resources have been,
and continue to be, a fundamental aspect of human history on the
Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This paper focuses on the ichthyological
evidence for marine resource procurement in relation to evidence for repetitive
aquatic activity by humans (external auditory exostoses, hereafter EAEs), from
the earliest attested human occupation of the island (PrePottery Neolithic B) to
the Middle Ages. EAEs are clinically proven proxies for repetitive aquatic activity
19
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
and, in the absence of substantial freshwater bodies in Cyprus, can be related to
maritime activity. Examination of fish bones from archaeological sites in Cyprus
allows us to study topics related to the evolution of fishing and of human
engagement with the sea. These remains also help us address key questions on
the archaeology of the region, such as the Broad Spectrum Revolution.
Quantitative and qualitative data on fish species uncovered from a large number
of archaeological sites (published reports and grey literature) and contextual
data on archaeological fishing gear, together with ethnographic research, form
the core focus of this paper. The results include describing patterns regarding
the type of fishing activity/exploitation at specific sites and time periods
(including settlements likely specialising in fishing) and providing
recommendations for improving recovery strategies. This is the first time an
effort is made to arrive at a synthesis of the state of research in this domain. As
such, the paper will also outline avenues for further research.
Anaïs Chalant* and Benoît Clavel
*
LabEx BCDiv UMR7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques,
Environnements, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités (MNHN 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris);
anais.chalant@yahoo.fr; +33688618844
Sampling methods applied to the Medieval archaeological site of Boves
castle (Somme, France)
Keywords: Sampling; Fish; Archaeozoology; Medieval Period
In a similar manner to vertebrates, fish remains are strongly underestimated in
archaeological contexts. This can be explained by at least two reasons:
differential preservation and/or recovery techniques (i.e. sieving); the latter is a
recurrent problem even though this practice has become more frequent during
archaeological investigations over the last five decades.
In order to recover small bone remains, it is important to realise a more selective
sorting. Yet, it requires collecting a substantial volume of sediments, dictated by
a wellreasoned sampling protocol elaborated with the operation manager.
As part of the GDR 3644 BioarcheodaT (directed by JD Vigne), the
“ichthyoarchaeology sampling” group, supervised by M. Sternberg and B. Clavel,
was formed in 2014. The purpose of this group is to create indicators in order to
guide sampling implementation in the field. Considering bone remains coming
from an entirely sieved context, the aim is to develop one or several statistical
20
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
sampling models to reduce the collected volume without losing information. This
contribution will focus on applying developed statistical tools to the castle of
Boves (Somme, France).
Lucie Coudert1, François Bon1, Laurent Bruxelles2, Jessie Cauliez1, Asamerew
Dessie3, Elise Dufour4, Marc Gosselin4, Denis Fiorillo4, Lamya Khalidi5, Michel
Lemoine4, Joséphine Lesur4, Clément Ménard1, and Romain Mensan1
1
UMR 5608 TRACES, University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, France; icoudert@univtlse2.fr;
+33789853638
2 INRAP, France and French Institute of South Africa, South Africa
3 ARCCH Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
4 UMR 7209 Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris,
France
5 UMR 7264 CEPAM, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France
Change in fish lacustrine communities in the northern part of the East
African Rift Valley (Ethiopia, Djibouti) between 11500 and 2000 cal BC
Keywords: Rift Valley; Palaeoenvironment; Pleistocene; Holocene; Fishing
The East African Rift Valley is characterised by the presence of a series of rather
small and isolated watersheds. Present hydrological conditions are recent and
changing. Due to the Pleistocene and Holocene climatic fluctuations, the lakes
have undergone several transgressions and regressions. These have resulted in
salinity variation and isolation of lakes that were previously connected, forming
an extensive hydrographical system. These hydrological fluctuations have
caused fundamental changes in fish populations and it is difficult to determine
which species inhabited successively the different lakes. This pattern greatly
limits the specific identification of fish remains present at the archaeological sites
and reconstruction of fishing practices. An attempt to estimate the community
composition was therefore initiated. A series of samples from archaeological
sites and natural lake deposits dated between 11500 and 2000 cal BC were
taken in the northern part of the East African Rift. To reconstruct
palaeoenvironmental conditions, a geological and geomorphological study as
well as stable isotopic analyses on Tilapinii otoliths were carried out. The results
of these different approaches will be compared to interpret as precisely as
possible the faunal assemblages. It will also lead to a better understanding of the
human subsistence strategies in accordance with the major environmental
constraints in play, i.e. the regression and the transgression phases of the lakes.
21
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Susan D. deFrance* and Michelle J. LeFebvre
* Department of Anthropology, University of Florida (2221 NW26th terr); sdef@ufl.edu;
3523788139; 3522815873
Problems and issues in Ancient Caribbean fisheries research
Keywords: Caribbean; Taxonomy; Hybrids
Fish assemblages from most PreColumbian Caribbean sites are characterised by
high taxonomic diversity because of abundant remains of varied reef fishes and
their predators. When analysts make taxonomic identifications of these remains,
we are often unable to make species level identifications with confidence because
of the morphological similarity among species of common fish genera; for
example, parrotfishes, genus Sparisoma. Although many species of the same
genus may share similar habitats and probable methods of capture, our inability to
identify exact species as opposed to genus level identifications hampers our ability
to understand human preference or selection of fishes with particular traits, such
as fish color. This in turn impacts the use of archaeological fish assemblages in
rendering both cultural and biological understandings of fishing through time. In
this paper, we explore some of the identification challenges that Caribbean
assemblages pose using fish remains from the large, Late PreHispanic Taino
village of En Bas Saline, Haiti, and the Ceramic period village of Tibes on Puerto
Rico. We consider which elements are most amenable to species level
identifications and those that are best identified to higherlevel taxonomic
categories. We also discuss how recent applications of interdisciplinary methods
of bone identification may be applicable to Caribbean fish assemblages for
elucidating taxonomic diversity.
Ryan Desrosiers1 and David Orton2
1
2
Department of Archaeology, University of York (The King's Manor, York, YO1 7EP, United
Kingdom); rtd507@york.ac.uk
BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York (BioArCh, Environment Building,
University of York, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD, UK); david.orton@york.ac.uk; +447817427 921
Understanding variation in fish bone isotopes: A bigmedium data approach
Keywords: Stable isotopes; Ecology; Methodology; Salinity; Climate
Stable isotope analyses are increasingly used within ichthyoarchaeology in order
to explore past fish migration patterns, detect longrange trade, or assess trophic
cascades and other ecological shifts. While the broad factors affecting the carbon
and nitrogen isotopic values in fish (e.g. temperature, salinity, trophic level,
terrestrial nutrient input) are fairly well understood, the relative importance of and
22
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
interaction between these factors are less clear. A better understanding of how
these factors play out in isotope values across past aquatic ecosystems would
greatly enhance the potential of isotope studies in ichthyoarchaeology. We take an
empirical approach to this issue, presenting results from an ongoing effort to
construct a comprehensive database of published fish bone isotope data that can
be examined to assess the relative impacts of different ecological and
methodological variables. In addition to the still fairly limited number of isotopic
studies of ancient fish per se, this database utilises the large and growing body of
fish isotopic data generated by studies focusing on human diet. We present initial
findings regarding: (a) the consistency of freshwater versus marine values over
time and space; (b) the relative importance of salinity and climate in determining
isotope values; and perhaps most importantly, (c) apparent impacts of
methodological and taphonomic factors on isotope results.
Elise Dufour1, Benoît Clavel1, Gabriela Borges1, Sophie Cersoy1, Matthieu
Lebon2, Olivier Tombret1, Denis Fiorillo1 and Laurent Simon3
1
Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique (UMR 7209), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle CNRS,
Paris, France ; edufour@mnhn.fr
2 Histoire naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (UMR 7194), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
CNRS, Paris, France
3 LEHNA (URM 5023), Université Lyon 1 – CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
Fish, where are you from? Bone collagen analysis of remains from the 8th to
the 17th centuries in Northern France
Keywords: Bone collagen; Stable isotopes; Provenance
Archaeozoological studies show a drastic change in the exploitation of aquatic
resources in Northern France since AD 1000. However, it is not possible to
determine the precise location of the fishing areas because most fish species
were ubiquitous during the Early Middle Ages and could have lived either in
estuaries or in the open sea. Isotopic biogeochemistry is now an integral part of
the tools available in archaeology to reconstruct past food patterns and residential
mobility of humans and animals. Previous studies have demonstrated the
importance of δ13C and δ15N values of fish bone collagen to describe the ecology
and ethological evolution of marine, freshwater, and anadromous species and to
identify the provenance of fisheries. However the collagen of archaeological fish is
likely to be altered due to the small size and fineness of the majority of bone
remains. The aim of this study is to identify the fishing areas and, by extension,
the distribution networks of fishery products in Northern France and thus to
23
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
document the adaptation of fishermen to changes in their immediate environment.
To this end, bone collagen of species of different ethology from sites dating from
the 8th to the 17th centuries was analysed using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
(IRMS). An adapted analytical protocol was used which includes the prior Fourier
Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis—Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR mode) of
total bone to estimate the quantitative and qualitative preservation of collagen.
Elise Dufour1, Lucie Coudert2, Joséphine Lesur1, Marc Gosselin1, Michel
Lemoine1, Denis Fiorillo1, Kelig Mahé3, Romain Elleboode3, Xavier Gutherz4 and
Jessie Cauliez2
1
UMR 7209 Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris,
France; edufour@mnhn.fr; +33140793274
2 UMR 5608 TRACES, University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, France
3 IFREMER Laboratoire ressources halieutiques, France
4 UMR 5140 ASM, Paul Valery University, France
Timing of fishing of Tilapinii… but which one?
Keywords: Africa; Otoliths; Stable isotopes; Form analysis
Fishing has played a very important role in the diet as well as the mobility of
human groups in North Africa during the Holocene. The Tilapinii are well
represented in continental African sites and often almost all of the otoliths
recovered in sites can be attributed to this taxon. The classic analysis of bone
remains hardly provides information on the role of fish in the annual food round.
Isotopic sclerochronology is the combined analysis of growth marks with a
seasonal rhythmicity and oxygen isotopic values (δ18O). Isotope sclerochronology
of Tilapinii otoliths was used to document the hydroclimatic conditions and
reconstruct the period of the hydrological cycle when the fish died – and then
when fishing took place at Asa Koma (15002500 cal BC; Djibouti). Adaptations
were made necessary for the sampling of Tilapinii otoliths. Estimating the fishing
season will allow us to obtain an insight into the seasonality of occupation of the
site. For such analyses, it is useful to determine the otoliths at the species level.
The diversity in otolith morphology at Asa Koma suggests the presence of different
species. However, species attribution is difficult because of low morphological
differences between genus and species of Tilapinii and a lack of data on the
former geographical repartition of the species. In order to distinguish species a
Linear modelling of general descriptors of shape (external contour of otolith) was
developed at the genus level. The method appears promising but necessitates a
large and good quality dataset of modern otoliths.
24
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Stephanie Emra1 and Alfred Galik2
1
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
stephanie.emra.11@alumni.ucl.ac.uk; +436601381612
2 Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut, Vienna
Fishing strategies at the coastal site of Çukuriçi Höyük in Western Anatolia
at the dawn of the Bronze Age
Keywords: Early Bronze Age; Anatolia; Metallurgy; Coastal
Çukuriçi Höyük is a tell settlement in Western Anatolia and one of the oldest sites
on the Western Mediterranean coast. It was settled at the beginning of the Pottery
Neolithic and continued into the Early Chalcolithic Period. After a hiatus, the
settlement phases document human activities from the Late Chalcolithic into the
Early Bronze Age I (hereafter EBA I), 2900–2750 cal BC. The excavations in the
EBA I settlement revealed very early metal production activities and an abundance
of obsidian coming from the island Melos. The archaeological remains were
recorded with detailed contextual information. The majority of the fish remains
come from sieved sediment samples with only a few larger remains deriving from
hand collection. Besides evidence of catadromous European eel, the ichthyofauna
consists only of marine species, indicating exploitation of nearby marine
environments. The most important fish resource used at the site were sea breams
and grey mullets. The presence of parrotfish, scorpionfish, goatfish, lippfish, sea
bass, drums, whiting, grouper, and a clupeid fish probably indicate a concentration
of fishing close to the shore rather than offshore fishing, although some larger
individuals found may indicate that some fishing was done at a greater distance
from the shore. A rather large number of cartilaginous fish remains were also
found, including two stingray spines. This paper will explore the fishing and marine
exploitation strategies employed by the Early Bronze Age dwellers of Çukuriçi
Höyük.
Arlene Fradkin*
* Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Florida USA)
Colonial and Modern fisheries in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA
Keywords: Fish; Estuaries; British Colonial Florida; Modern fisheries
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a narrow estuary extending 251 km (156 miles)
along the Atlantic coast of Florida. One of the most biodiverse waterways in North
America, this aquatic ecosystem is home to more than 4000 plant and animal
species, including approximately 700 fish species. Nevertheless, over the past
25
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
several decades, the Lagoon has become an “estuary in peril”, its waters
threatened by degradation from pollution, habitat loss, stormwater runoff, and
other humaninduced activities. Local fish populations have been greatly affected
as toxic algae blooms periodically trigger massive fish kills. According to
archaeological faunal evidence from a mid18thcentury Colonial site in the
Northern Indian River Lagoon region, however, this estuary provided an
abundance of wild animal resources in the past. The colonists relied heavily upon
the Lagoon as indicated by the predominance of rayfinned fishes in the examined
faunal samples. A comparison between the size and quantity of particular fish
species represented in the archaeological colonial record versus those currently
present in the Lagoon today demonstrate that these fish were more numerous and
attained a much greater size in the past.
Sónia Gabriel1,2 and André Teixeira3,4
1
Laboratório de Arqueociências. Direcção Geral do Património Cultural, Rua da Bica do Marquês,
2. 1300087 Lisboa, Portugal; sgabriel@dgpc.pt
2 CIBIO (Research Center In Biodiversity and Genetic Resources), Universidade do Porto,
Faculdade de Ciências. Porto, Portugal
3 Departamento de História. Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas. Universidade Nova de
Lisboa. Lisboa, Portugal; texa@fcsh.unl.pt
4 CHAM – FCSH / Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade dos Açores
Fishing in the Straits of Gibraltar in Late Medieval times: Food in Islamic
contexts from the archaeological site of Qsar esSeghir, Morocco
Keywords: Fish remains; Northern Africa; 13th to 15th centuries; Islamic period
According to written sources, Qsar esSeghir was first settled between the 10th
and 11th centuries and subsequently became an important port and shipyard by
the 12th/13th centuries. Later, it underwent substantial urban construction. In 1458,
it was captured by the Portuguese who remained there for almost a century.
Situated on the mouth of the river Qsar Seghir, on the south bank of the Straits of
Gibraltar, Qsar esSeguir played an important role connecting North Africa and the
Iberian Peninsula and benefited from both Mediterranean and Atlantic seafaring.
The coexistence of different cultures, as well as economic and political changes in
the Maghreb, may have resulted in the modification of diverse aspects of human
animal interaction in the region. The importance of maritime life seems to have
always been considerable, as descriptions from Late Medieval times indicate the
existence of a thriving fishing industry. Fish were salted and sold locally.
Nevertheless, according to the archaeological fish bone remains at Qsar es
Seguir, fish did not play a major role in the economy but rather formed a
26
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
supplementary contribution to the diet throughout the different phases of
occupation. We present a revision of previous studies of fish remains in North
African Late Medieval Islamic archaeological sites. We add new data, based on
studies of fish remains recovered from Qsar esSeghir. Our aim is to understand
the role that fish played in the subsistence and economy of its inhabitants.
Alfred Galik1 and Elisabeth Stephan2
1
2
Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, FranzKleingasse 1, 1190
Vienna, Austria
Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, Dienstsitz Konstanz
Stromeyersdorfstr. 3, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
Fishing at the Early Neolithic HornstaadHörnle site at Lake Constance,
Germany
Keywords: Fish; Pike; Lake-dwelling settlement; Neolithic; Germany
The HornstaadHörnle IA site is one of the earliest Neolithic piledwelling
settlements on the shore of Lake Constance in Southwestern Germany. It was
inhabited from 3917 cal BC until 3910/3909 cal BC, when a disastrous fire
destroyed most of the village. The settlement was subsequently rebuilt, as
documented by four different construction phases. Exploitation of domesticates,
mainly cattle and pig, as well as hunting provided a certain amount of the animal
protein supply for the Neolithic settlers. However, another important protein source
was supplied by fishing as indicated by the recovery of more than 10000 fish
remains. Although most of the remains only can be determined as fish bones due
to a high percentage of burnt bones and poor preservation, the ichthyofaunal
distribution reveals exploitation of diverse fish species. The ichthyoloarchaeogical
assemblages are clearly dominated by pike, representing obviously the most
important fish. The size of pike ranges from small up to very large individuals, with
mostly medium to larger individuals. Other fish groups, which are much less
frequently represented but certainly of some importance, are cyprinids,
coregonids, trout and perch. Pikeperch and European catfish in contrast are
minimally represented.
Lee Graña*
* University of Reading
The RomanoBritish fisheries: An integrated approach
Keywords: Fish processing; Roman period; Britain
The subject of Roman fishing, indeed ancient fishing, is primarily fuelled by
27
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Mediterraneanled research. Although recent case studies suggest the potential
for largescale fish processing in Britain, it remains largely unexplored and is
typically interpreted as playing a minor role within the Roman fishing industry.
The increasing wealth of evidence for fishing in Roman Britain consists of fishing
tools, traps, netweights and over 100 fish bone assemblages. However, to date,
there has been no attempt to conduct a comprehensive study of the evidence.
This presentation will provide an overview of my PhD research by looking at
several case study sites. I will also highlight the suggested methodology for
tackling this subject, developed from Mediterranean approaches, which continue
to demonstrate the significance of an integrated approach to the study of ancient
fishing. One question yet to be answered is how the small and largescale
fisheries of Britannia fit into the wider context of the Roman Empire.
Sandrine Grouard*
* UMR7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements, MNHN,
CNRS, Sorbonne Universités (MNHN 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris); grouard@mnhn.fr;
+33140793206
Chronology of West Indian palaeofishery
Keywords: West Indies; Pre-Columbian; Fish size; Palaeofishery
The West Indies archipelago is an exceptional example of continental
populations adapting to an insular environment, with many interisland
exchanges due to highly effective naval technology. PreColumbian
archaeological sites in the Caribbean contain a significant amount of well
preserved vertebrate remains (fish, turtles, snakes/lizards, birds, mammals),
and, at a majority of sites, ichthyological remains predominate. However, the
importance of different marine ecosystems varied in each PreColumbian
culture. The selection of captured marine species (sea turtles, manatees, monk
seals, cetaceans, fish) indicate that fishing grounds and techniques also
changed according to archaeological periods. Based upon 890,000 fish remains
recovered and identified from 90 PreColumbian archaeological sites in the
Lesser Antilles (including St Martin, Barbuda, Antigua, the archipelago of
Guadeloupe and Martinique) since 1994, a palaeofishery chronology can be
determined using the composition of the faunal spectrum and size of the
animals. The earliest Archaic populations exploited seagrass meadows and
lagoons near coral reefs. Later, the earliest Ceramists exploited equally all the
ecosystems (deep water channels, rocky bottoms, coral reefs, sandy bottoms,
28
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
seagrass, mangroves, foreshore). The Late Ceramists moved their villages near
lagoons, mangroves, and corals. Satellites islands were colonised, and some
villages were highly specialised on certain species (e.g. surgeonfish, parrotfish).
Indeed, coral reef fish became increasingly important in subsistence through
time. Finally, fish sizes decreased over time but fishing technology did not
change.
Emilie Guillaud*, Philippe Bearez, MarieHélène Moncel, Arturo Morales and
Wim Van Neer
* Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France);
emilie.guillaud@mnhn.fr; 33681333859
Exploitation of aquatic environments during the Middle Palaeolithic in
Western Europe
Keywords: Middle Palaeolithic; Western Europe; Fish; Neanderthals
Whether or not Neanderthals practised fishing remains an enigma at present. It
has been shown that the range of exploited animals was far wider than
previously postulated and that Neanderthals could hunt and collect small prey.
For that reason, it is worth considering if fishing, in particular freshwater fishing
was a potential activity because most Neanderthal sites were located along
rivers. More specifically, it should be investigated whether fishing was an
occasional and opportunistic activity or rather a routine practice among the
Neanderthals. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the stateoftheart data
concerning this question by reviewing the ichthyoarchaeological data available in
several West European countries. In the studied assemblages, fish remains are,
in most cases, insufficient to provide clearcut answers due to three major
drawbacks: (1) fishes were apparently not exploited in large quantities; (2)
taphonomic loss might be an important source of bias suggested by the fact that
fish remains gradually become more numerous in younger sites (i.e. Holocene);
(3) excavation methods implemented to recover fish remains might possibly
remain inappropriate. Europe with its large number of sites with faunal remains
available for analysis is a privileged region for the study of Middle Palaeolithic
subsistence. Thus far, limited research has been carried out on the role of small
prey. The emerging picture, however, is that, much earlier than previously
thought, small animals, including fish, were not just a secondary food item but an
integral part of a more complex subsistence system that included a great variety
of resources.
29
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Emilie Guillaud*, Arturo Morales, Eufrasia Roselló, Philippe Bearez and Marie
Hélène Moncel
* Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France);
emilie.guillaud@mnhn.fr; +33681333859
Taphonomic analysis of fish bone accumulations produced by Yellow
legged Gull (Larus michahellis, Laridae) in Chafarines Island, Spain
Keywords: Taphonomy; Fish accumulations; Yellow-legged Gull; Digestion; Pellets
Fish remains can be abundant in European Upper Pleistocene and Holocene sites.
The origin of such assemblages is generally unknown and often considered to be
the result of human activities. To determine the origin, taphonomic analyses have
proven to be a relevant instrumental tool. Many kinds of predators might have
produced fish bone accumulations in prehistoric sites including birds, carnivores and
humans, separately or combined. In Iberia and other parts of the Mediterranean
region, one welldocumented agent is the Yellowlegged Gull (Larus michahellis
Naumann, 1840) that has been rarely studied from the standpoint of prehistoric fish
collections. The major aim of this study is to determine the taphonomic features of
fish prey remains ingested by the Yellowlegged Gull, in order to evaluate the role
played by this species in the formation of some subfossil assemblages. The
collection of the meal leftovers from this gull was conducted between 1978 and
1979 at the Islas del Congreso and Rey (Chafarinas Islands, Alborán Sea, Spain).
Based on surface modification features, breakage and digestion traces, as well as
on element representation, we have recorded a set of criteria that may be of interest
in determining the nature and origin of archaeozoological and palaeontological fish
assemblages. The taphonomic features that were evaluated suggest that L.
michahellis produces moderate digestion (i.e. categories 23 Andrews, 1990) on
fishes that have passed through its digestive track. This study provides a reference
for understanding fish archaeological accumulations and expands our taphonomic
criteria from previous works in the field.
Eric J. Guiry1, Suzanne NeedsHowarth2, Alicia L. Hawkins3, Trevor Orchard4
1
Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 6303 NW Marine Dr., Vancouver, BC
V6T1Z1, Canada (eguiry@mun.ca)
2 Perca Zooarchaeological Research & Trent University Archaeological Research Centre, 1600
West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada (suzanne.needs@gmail.com)
3 Archaeology program, School of the Environment, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd.,
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada (ahawkins@laurentian.ca)
4 Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North,
Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 (trevor.orchard@utoronto.ca)
30
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Isotopic analyses of archaeological fish track significant human impacts on
Lake Ontario nutrient cycle
Keywords: isotope, historical ecology, Great Lakes
To understand how natural and anthropogenic forces are reshaping aquatic
environments, biologists have created isotopic baselines using archived fish
tissues (e.g., scales and flesh) to detect changes in environmental conditions in
the recent past. Most baseline datasets begin in the twentieth century, long after
major developments such as the industrial revolution began to have serious
environmental consequences and are therefore unable to provide information on
longerterm processes in aquatic ecosystems. In this context, isotopic analyses of
archaeological fish remains offer significant potential for helping to contextualize
conservation research aimed at assessing how and where human activities have
impacted aquatic ecosystems. This study presents stable nitrogen isotope
compositions of archaeological bone collagen from over 500 fish as a proxy
measure for longterm (A.D. 10001900) environmental changes in Lake Ontario,
the most easterly of the Great Lakes, with the longest history of intensive
exploitation. Results show a significant shift in the δ15N values of multiple fish
taxa, consistent with a change in the state of the freshwater nitrogen cycle of Lake
Ontario during the nineteenth century. This shift is likely linked to humaninduced
changes in the lake’s nutrient and trophic structures. These findings provide fresh
insights into the broader environmental context of the impact of European
settlement in the region.
Simone Häberle1 and Heide Hüster Plogmann1
1
Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, Switzerland (Spalenring
145); simone.haeberle@unibas.ch; heide.huesterplogmann@unibas.ch; +41612074215
Archaeological and Historical evidence of fish food supply, fish farming, and
fish trading in Medieval and Early Modern Switzerland
Keywords: Switzerland; Medieval; Early Modern period; Fish exploration
It was not until the 1970s that increasingly meticulous excavation methods in
Europe provided evidence that fish as a food resource was much more important
throughout prehistory than previously believed. In Switzerland, fish also played an
important role in the diet during the Medieval and Early Modern periods. Beyond
their dietary role, fish remains, together with archaeological and historical data,
can provide information about human utilisation of aquatic ecosystems and fish
31
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
stocks in former times. In this presentation, we provide examples of the results
gained by ichthyoarchaeological research that indicate different modes of
exploitation of this important aquatic resource.
Jen Harland1 and Wim Van Neer2
1
2
Archaeology Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands (Orkney College, East Road,
Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX, UK); jen.harland@uhi.ac.uk; +441856569228
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Vautierstraat 29, B1000 Brussels, Belgium) and
University of Leuven, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics (B3000 Leuven,
Belgium)
Weird fish: Pathological fish bones and what we can do with them
Keywords: Pathologies; Gadidae; Joint disease
The study of animal palaeopathology is a maturing subset of zooarchaeology, but
fish bone pathologies have not been studied in any great detail. Using several
large assemblages from the North Atlantic region (primarily comprising Gadidae
species), as well as selected examples from elsewhere, the authors aim to explore
and categorise fish pathologies. Several categories have been identified, including
injuries, tooth ‘abscesses’, congenital abnormalities, illness and stress, and
neoplasms. Joint disease has been identified across a range of very large and
very old fish, indicating that these changes are likely agerelated. Using modern
reference collections and fisheries biology literature, we attempt to link these
categories to causative agents. We conclude by asking how useful these
pathologies are, both to zooarchaeologists and to fisheries biologists.
Alicia L. Hawkins1 and Suzanne NeedsHowarth2
1
Archaeology program, School of the Environment, Laurentian University (935 Ramsey Lake Rd.,
Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada); ahawkins@laurentian.ca; +17056751151 ext 4224
2 The Archaeology Centre, University of Toronto & Perca Zooarchaeological Research (19 Russell
St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S2, Canada); suzanne.needs@gmail.com; +14166529099
Are all identifications created equal? An experiment in interanalyst variation
Keywords: Identification; Inter-analyst variation; Fish; Diagnostic elements
When reexamining bones that have been previously analysed, it is not
uncommon for researchers to discover a number of differences in the taxonomic
data produced. When reviewing others’ work, we generally make the assumption
that identifications are correct. But are we right to make this assumption? Others
have investigated this question by having multiple analysts examine the same set
of bones of unknown identity. In this case, we asked a number of
zooarchaeologists to analyse a set of fish bones of known identity using their
32
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
normal procedures. We consider the results of this in terms of the effort (time)
invested in identification and the level of experience of the analyst.
This research contributes to the formulation of best practices for
zooarchaeologists, including those working within the standards and guidelines for
consulting archaeologists in the jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada. This research also
contributes to our understanding of what skeletal elements are considered
“diagnostic” across analysts.
Simon Hickinbotham, Matthew Collins*, Kristine Korzow Richter, Krista McGrath,
Jessica Hendy and Nicole Bovin
* University of York / University of Copenhagen (Natural History Museum of Denmark, Sølvgade
83, Opg. S 1307 København K, Denmark); matthew@palaeome.org; +447955888101
ZooMS for everyone
Keywords: ZooMS; Identification; Mass spectrometry
The ability to identify fish remains by peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS) has
potential to aid in the study of ancient fish remains. However, few laboratories
have sufficient access to the expensive instrumentation required to run these
analyses. An initiative funded largely by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of
Human History in Jena and supported by the Universities of York and
Copenhagen is seeking to equalise access to ZooMS analysis. This will be
achieved by making available integrated datasets and software that together
simplify the process of interpreting MALDITOF data and increase the
classification accuracy. We present our vision for ZooMS analyses of fish remains,
detail our progress to date, and seek advice and support from the community as
the optimal direction for developing the software tools and running workshops.
The intent is that it will be possible for most laboratories with very basic equipment
(pipettes, a bench, fridge, and heating block) to prepare their own samples with
plates being sent to Jena for MALDITOF analysis.
Richard C. Hoffmann*
* Professor emeritus, Department of History, York University, Toronto. Canada (Department of
History, 2140 Vari Hall, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario M4J 1P3 Canada);
medfish@yorku.ca; +9058335709
Who dined extensively on fish in Medieval Europe? A critical consumer
reads stable isotope analyses
Keywords: Medieval Europe; Fish consumption; Stable isotopes
Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in bone collagen extracted from human
33
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
remains provides direct physical evidence that specific past individuals
consumed significant quantities of aquatic resources. On the whole carbon
isotope (δ13C) values differentiate between proteins of different biosynthetic
origin (marine versus terrestrial), while nitrogen (δ15N) places the individual on
the trophic level hierarchy. Stable isotope studies therefore promise significant
new insights into fish consumption by communities across large areas of
Medieval Europe. But convincing interpretations demand careful handling of
these results. This paper examines more than 30 published studies of stable
carbon and nitrogen isotopes extracted from human remains at Medieval sites
distributed from Sweden and Scotland to Spain and Southern Italy and dating
from the 5th and 6th through the 15th and 16th centuries. It identifies certain
important findings and strong cautions regarding chronological, social,
economic, and geographical patterns in Europeans’ consumption of large
amounts of aquatic protein. Interpreters are urged to observe individual
skeletons as closely as they do collective averages, to remember that Medieval
Western Christendom was surrounded by and exploited marine ecosystems on
three sides, and to remain aware that some European regions long relied on
local fisheries in both salt and freshwaters.
Nayeli Jiménez Cano1, Jeff Bryant2 and Marilyn Masson3
1
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Laboratorio de Zooarqueología (Calle Darwin 2, Cantoblanco);
njimenezcano@gmail.com; +34681071602.
2 New York State Museum, Vertebrate Paleontology
3 State University of New York, Department of Anthropology
Ichthyoarchaeological analysis at Mayapán: PostClassical fish use and
environmental implications
Keywords: Maya; Post-Classical; Fish use; Paleoecology
This paper presents the ichthyoarchaeological results of the fish assemblage
from Mayapán, the capital of the Postclassical period (11001400 AD) in the
Mayan Northern lowlands. The assemblage represents the most abundant and
diverse fish sample for an inland Mayan site and offers new data to deepen our
understanding of fish procurement and use in Mayan subsistence activities.
Catfishes, drums, snooks and sharks, which indicate two ecological areas of
provenance, cenotes and aguadas, as well as estuaries, were identified in the
34
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
assemblage. Regarding trade and transportation, the skeletal frequencies
indicates that fishes, with sizes similar to modern modal sizes, were transported
complete to the site. From a palaeoecological perspective, seasonality studies
aid our understanding of the ecological role of the fishes transported to the site.
In addition, the fish fauna from Mayapán is key to reconstructing the past
conditions of the Gulf of Mexico estuaries since the majority of the fishes
identified are locally available. The change in the biogeography of these species
might indicate a possible change in ecological conditions that may have taken
place since PostClassical times.
Nayeli Jiménez Cano*, Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo* and Arturo Morales Muñíz*
* Laboratorio de Arqueozoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Calle Darwin 2, Cantoblanco);
njimenezcano@gmail.com; +34681071602
Ichthyoarchaeology from the Mayan World: Transforming paleocultural and
paleoecological paradigms in the Northern Lowlands from the Classic (500
900 d.C) to the Post-Classic (900-1400 d.C) periods
Keywords: Maya; Fisheries; Palaeoecology; Fish processing
The results of the analyses of fish remains from Mayan settlements of the
Classic (500900 AD) and PostClassical (9001400 AD) periods are presented.
According to the ichthyoarchaeological evidence of Mayan fish remains, we
propose a series of hypotheses to aid in our interpretation and deepen the
cultural knowledge of ancient fishing practices and the paleocoastal ecosystem
of the Mayan world. Such approaches range from the fish processing methods to
their ritual use that entails a change in the traditional paradigms of such
practices in the Mayan world. Also, we assess the effects of the droughts
recorded at the time of the Mayan collapse (8001000 AD) on the estuarine
ecosystems. These effects may have led to increasing muddy areas on the coast
as a result of a reduced freshwater flow into the estuaries. As a consequence of
this situation, changes in the values of global trophic levels are recorded as well
as the absence of fishes present in the ichthyoarchaeological record but absent
in the current ichthyological record. The results presented here serve as a
preliminary baseline, both to understand the implications of PreHispanic Mayan
fishing from an archaeological perspective and to provide a chronologically
broad record that may contribute to the knowledge of fisheries along the Mayan
coastlines.
35
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Leif Jonsson*
*
Gothenburg Museum of Natural History
leif.jonsson@osteology.se; +46708941945
(Box
7283,
40235
Gothenburg,
Sweden);
Stockfish and dried pike in Medieval Uppsala, a case study of the
recognition of dried fish products in urban zooarchaeology
Keywords: Stockfish; Dried cod and pike; Diagnosis of preserved fish; Sweden;
Medieval Uppsala
The importance of fish in urban archaeological sites is often underestimated due
to inadequate recovery and lack of understanding by archaeologists. Here a case
study is presented where a zooarchaeozoologist was part of an excavation team
on a largescale excavation in the city of Uppsala in Eastern Sweden. A total of
more than three tonnes of animal remains were recovered. All bones were related
to contexts and dated. Wet sieving of layers was performed to check quality of
bone recovery. All bones of pike and cod were studied in detail with respect to
skeletal element, size and butchery marks. This resulted in a consistent pattern in
skeletal representation and size distributions of pike, medium size cod and big cod
respectively. The provenace of the three groups of fish is discussed as well as
their state of preparation as commodoties. Finally their importance in relation to
the main meatproducing mammals is discussed.
Hanna Kivikero*
* University of Helsinki; hanna.kivikero@helsinki.fi; +358505525643
Fish products in the Åland islands during the Early Modern period
Keywords: Fish products; Baltic Sea; Economy
The castle Kastelhom was a centre of economy in the Åland islands. The castle
with its estates produced meat products, butter and cheese from domestic animals
for their own need but also for the need of the castle in Stockholm; the centre of
economy in Sweden. Based on the castle accounts from the 16th to 17th centuries,
relatively large amounts of fish and seal products were also exported from the
Åland islands.
In the osteological material, various fresh and saltwater fish were identified. Most
of them can be locally caught in the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. From the
taxation list of the castle accounts it can be seen that some areas of the island
group selectively targeted certain species, such as herring and cod. The account
books are also interesting when tracing the fish products traded and consumed in
the castle. The anatomical distribution of the fish species identified in the
36
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
osteological material is useful in understanding the food products recorded in the
accounts.
Kristine Korzow Richter*, Jennifer Harland, Andrew A. K. G. Jones, Krista
McGrath, Camilla Speller and Matthew J. Collins
* University of York, Department of Archaeology, BioArCh (Environment Building, Wentworth Way,
Heslington, York, YO10 5NG); kristine.richter@york.ac.uk; +4407496719827
Widening the net: ZooMS identification for fish
Keywords: ZooMS; Species identification; Cyprinids; Tuna; Flatfish
One of the largest problems that limits detailed interpretation of archaeological fish
remains is the identification of bones and scales to species of certain genera and
families. Often only some elements are diagnostic between closely related
species, leading to many archaeological bones and scales remaining unidentified.
Zooarchaeology through Mass Spectrometry (hereafter ZooMS) has the potential
to identify even small scales through peptide mass fingerprinting of collagen. Fish
groups that pose problems for morphological identification include tuna, flatfish,
and cyprinids. Here, we present preliminary results on the potential of ZooMS to
distinguish between species in the Cyprinidae and Scombridae families and the
order Pleuronectiformes. Case studies include bones from Medieval fish ponds in
Yorkshire and tuna scales from multiple Roman period sites in Italy.
Olga Krylovich*
* Laboratory of Historical Ecology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy
of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia; okrylovich@gmail.com; +79031667121
Fish remains from an ancient midden on Chuginadak Island, Islands of Four
Mountains, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Keywords: Islands of Four Mountains; Holocene; Gadus macrocephalus;
Hemilepidotus sp.
Zooarchaeological material was collected from an ancient shell midden on
Chuginadak Island during the multidisciplinary project titled “Geological Hazards,
Climate Change, and Human/Ecosystems Resilience in the Islands of the Four
Mountains” in 2014. The midden accumulated between 2800 and 2200 cal BP and
contains numerous remains of invertebrates, birds, and fishes. All material was
water screened using 3 mm mesh screens. The fish remains were identified to the
most specific taxon possible, including identifications to order, family, genus, and
37
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
species. We used skull bones for identification only. For quantification of the fish
remains we used the number of identified specimens (NISP).
To date, 2550 fish remains were identified to family level or higher. At least nine
taxa of teleosts were identified in the assemblage. Of the identifiable fish bones,
the majority belonged to Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) and Irish Lords
(Hemilepidotus sp.). The sample produced 1075 Pacific Cod bones, representing
approximately half of all identified fish remains (47.8%). Only one bone of Alaskan
Pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) was identified. Cods were followed by Sculpins
(Cottidae) with 38.2% of the identified NISP (NISP=974). This material mostly
consists of remains of Irish Lords (NISP=971). Greenlings (Hexagrammos sp.)
comprise 16.6% of the identified remains (NISP=424). Remains of other taxa are
comparatively scarce; Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis, NISP=34), Atka Mackerel
(Pleurogrammus monopterygius, NISP=17), rockfish (Sebastidae, NISP=11) and
flatfishes (Pleuronectidae, NISP=4). Notably, all of species or groups of species
that were identified in the material from the investigated midden are commonly
found in the waters off the Aleutian Islands.
Omri Lernau*
* Zinman Institute of archaeology, Haifa University, Israel (2 Nurit, Mevasseret Zion, 90805);
ozlernau@netmedia.net.il; 9722 5343948
Remains of kosher and nonkosher fish in excavated settlements in Israel
Keywords: Fish remains; Israel; Kosher; Biblical laws.
Jewish dietary taboos consist of several types of animals including fish. There are
two kinds of NonKosher fish that are frequently identified in assemblages of
excavated fish bones: catfish and cartilaginous fish. The presentation will describe
the Biblical laws concernig fish and the findings in excavated sites across Israel in
different periods. It will adress a series of questions including: When did the
inhabitants of the kingdoms of Israel and Judea begin to abstain from eating non
kosher fish? Was the avoidance of nonkosher fish in ancient times as strong as
the avoidance of pigs? Does the archaeological record of fish bones provide clues
to the ethincal identity of the inhabitants of ancient settlements?
Kevin Lidour1, Philippe Béarez2, Sophie Méry3
1
PhD student, University of Paris 1 PantheonSorbonne, UMR 7041 ArScAn, Maison de
l’Archéologie et de l’Ethnologie, 21 Allée de l’Université 92023 Nanterre CEDEX, France; MNHN,
UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: sociétés, pratiques et environnements, 55 rue
Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; lidour01@gmail.com
38
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
2
MNHN, UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: sociétés, pratiques et environnements, 55
rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; bearez@mnhn.fr
3 Rennes 1, UMR 6566 CreAAH, 263 Avenue du général Leclerc Campus de Beaulieu Bâtiment
2425, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France; sophie.mery@mae.uparis10.fr
Akab Island, new results on fishing at a Late Neolithic stratified site in the
Persian Gulf
Keywords: Neolithic; Eastern Arabia; Persian Gulf; Arabian Gulf; United Arab
Emirates
The Neolithic period in Eastern Arabia is beginning to be better understood due to
new excavations of wellstratified sites in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Despite the aridity, shell middens provide the best preservational conditions dating
from ca. 65004500 cal BC.
Here, violence has been documented which may be partly explained by Neolithic
coastal groups competing for access to specific locations. However, we also note
a coherent regional cultural entity according to the lithic technology and personal
ornament production. Since oasis agriculture developed from the Bronze Age
onwards, herding (goat and cattle), shellfish gathering and fishing were the
primary modes of subsistence. Moreover, marine resources had become
symbolically very important, and were intrinsically linked to cultural identity and
social representation. Recently, the link between fishing and the symbolic use of
animals has been attested by ritual deposition of fishing gear in the dugong bone
mound of Akab, which may be as a propitiatory rite. While the dugong structure is
later than the settlement levels, the marine mammal were caught and consumed
during all the occupations at the site.
Akab Island is situated in the bottom of the Umm alQuwain lagoon, in Northern
Emirates. Excavations were conducted by V. Charpentier (INRAP) and S. Méry
(CNRS, head of the French Archaeological Mission in United Arab Emirates)
between 2002 and 2007. The earliest occupation at the site is dated to the Late
Neolithic I (ca. 45004000 cal BC) and has been identified at other nearby sites
around the lagoon. The settlement area of Akab has provided more than 38000
fish remains, which derived from over 40 fish species. Analysis of the ichthyofauna
identifications underlines predominance of coastal pelagics, Euthynnus affinis
(Scombridae), Carangoides chrysophrys and Gnathanodon speciosus
(Carangidae) in all levels of the site. The associated fishing gear, typical of the
Neolithic period, is composed of stone net sinkers and shellfish hooks, both of
which are well attested in the Sultanate of Oman for catching pelagic fishes. The
great quantity of crab remains discovered at the site also questions the common
39
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
use of basket traps. Other teleost taxa reveal that Akab inhabitants fished in a
large aquatic territory, including mangrove, chenals inside the lagoon and the
nearby open sea. They probably focussed on particular events as sparoid
spawnings and coastal pelagic migrations. These results directly question the
seasonal organisation of activities and mobility. During the same period (Late
Neolithic I), the Umm alQuwain sites 2 and 36, situated near the mouth of lagoon,
were strictly involved in a lagoonal exploitation. Thus, intergroup relations
concerning territory will also be discussed.
Veerle Linseele1, Donatella Usai2,3 and Sandro Salvatori2
1
Centre for Archaeological Science, KU Leuven & Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor
Natuurwetenschappen, Belgium
2 Centro Studi Sudanesi e SubSahariani (CSSeS), Treviso, Italy
3 University of Rome "La sapienza", Italy
Fishing at Mesolithic Al Khiday (Central Sudan, 7th millennium cal BC):
Multidisciplinary data and their anthropological implications
Keywords: Sudan; Mesolithic; Hunter-gatherer-fishers; Fish conservation
Specific fishing strategies and fish conservation techniques seem to characterise
the economy of the population living during much of the 7th millennium cal BC at Al
Khiday, a site located on the west bank of the White Nile, nearly 25 km south of
Omdurman in Central Sudan. Observations on these practices result from
multidisciplinary work that included archaeological, archaeozoological,
geochemical and palaeoenvironmental studies. At the site, multiple Mesolithic
habitation structures have been found and recorded, including over 150 pits.
These pits are usually full of animal bones, mainly fish, which represent food
refuse that accumulated over a brief period of time. In the last field season at Al
Khiday, a Mesolithic shell midden has also been identified. Emphasis on fishing
was larger at Al Khiday than recorded elsewhere in the Mesolithic of Central
Sudan, focusing primarily on catching clariid catfish in a local swamp. The
organisation of space at the site seems to have been increasingly structured,
reflecting a specialised model of huntergathererfishers lifeways. In this context,
fish salting developed and storing food permitted an increase in sedentism.
Increased sedentism fits in the general framework of an intensified use of wild
resources preceding the appearance of food production in Central Sudan. An
attempt will finally be made to compare fishing in different contexts, at different
latitudes and, whenever possible at a diachronic and synchronic level.
40
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Laura Llorente Rodríguez1,2, Oliver E. Craig1, Rachelle Martyn1, Arturo Morales
Muñiz2, Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo2, Eduardo González Gómez de Agüero3 and
Carlos Fernández Rodríguez3
1
2
University of York (BioArChEnvironment Building; Wentworth Way, York YO10 5NG);
lallarual@gmail.com; +44074213526
Laboratory of Archaeozoology, Department of Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid,
Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
Unrevealing hake fishing with isotopes through time
Keywords: Hake; Iberia; Fishing; Isotopes; Trophic level
The European hake (Merluccius merluccius, L. 1758) is one of the most important
commercial fish species today but is facing a dramatic depletion linked mostly to
anthropogenic exploitation. This fishing pressure, especially in Iberia, could have
led to a decrease in the mean size of the fish and its level trophic position as has
been identified for other species. In the region, the intensive exploitation of hake
has been identified as early as the 18th century (AD). However, the archaeological
data in the Iberian Peninsula demonstrates that fishing for hake took place during
the Neolithic.
Bulk and single amino acid stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen have been
used to examine the trophic structure of modern and archaeological hake
populations from Iberia and, in the case of imports, to identify their geographical
origin. The differences in the carbon and especially nitrogen values demonstrate
change in the mean trophic level of hake through time, potentially as the result of
overexploitation. Additionally, we were also able to differentiate the catchments
areas of these fish (i.e. Atlantic or Mediterranean) using stable isotopes, which is
important for our understanding of hake trade throughout antiquity.
Lembi Lõugas1, Eve Rannamäe2,3, Andres Tvauri2 and Freydis Ehrlich2.
1
Archaeological Research Collection, Tallinn University (Rüütli 10, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia);
lembi.lougas@tlu.ee; +37255514634
2 Institute of History and Archaeology, Tartu University, Estonia
3
BioArch,
Department
of Archaeology,
University
of York,
United
Kingdom,
eve.rannamae@york.ac.uk
Duty on fish: Analyses of animal remains found from the UueKastre castle
and customs station site between Russia and Estonia
Keywords: Uue-Kastre castle; Fish duty; Medieval; Early Modern; Trade
The majority of Medieval and Early Modern fish remains originate from urban
contexts, but a very promising site for archaeological fish remains outside of towns
41
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
is UueKastre (Varbek) in Eastern Central Estonia. The site was a castle and
customs station that belonged to the Tartu Bishop and was first founded at the end
of the 14th century on the bank of the River Emajõgi between Lake Peipsi and
Tartu town.
The river traffic was controlled there; inter alia the trade between the Hanseatic
towns of Novgorod in Western Russia and Tartu. Based on historical sources, duty
was collected on fish during the 15th and 16th centuries. During the excavations at
the site in 2001 a considerable number of fish and mammal remains were
recovered, which will be the subject of this presentation. The faunal material
analysed within the current study demonstrates the consumption of animal
products by the castle's staff, while any direct connection with the customs tax has
not been proven.
Angela Maccarinelli*
* Department of Archaeology, Sheffield University (Northgate House, West St, Sheffield S1 4ET –
UK); amaccarinelli1@sheffield.ac.uk; +447746220855
Food for the wealthy? An overview of the role of freshwater fish in Medieval
England
Keywords: Freshwater fish; Migratory fish; Consumption; Luxury food; Status;
Medieval England
In the earlier part of the Middle Ages, rivers and estuaries were the main sources
of fish exploitation in England. This situation persisted until around the 1000 AD,
when a substantial increase in the frequency of marine fish occured. At the same
time, freshwater and migratory fish, such as eel, bream, perch, pike and tench,
become less represented in archaeological sites and mainly associated with
moated sites and castles. Historical evidence documents the high price and value
attached to freshwater fish; fishing rights on rivers, estuaries and natural and
artificial ponds were exclusive, thus representing symbols of social privilege. As a
consequence of these processes, freshwater fish became a luxury item and
maintained such status until at least the 15th century. Towards the end of this
period, there were cases where some freshwater and migratory species, such as
roach, dace and small eels, were consumed also by the lower classes, as they
could be purchased from the market.
The zooarchaeological evidence from a number of English sites, selected on the
basis of chronological breath and social status, will be reviewed and discussed.
The aim of this study was to investigate the nature and level of diachronic
changes in freshwater fish production and consumption, in view of the evolving
42
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
ecological, cultural, religious and sociopolitical contexts. Potential factors, such as
selection of species, size, capture methods and sources of fishing will be briefly
explored.
Emma Maltin*
*
Bohusläns
Museum,
Sweden
(Köldgatan
emma.maltin@gmail.com; +46763749250
10,
41832
Gothenburg,
Sweden);
Ethnicity expressed in fish consumption?
Keywords: Ethnicity; Urban archaeology; Fish; Early Modern
Is it possible to trace consumers’ origin with the aid of fish remains? This was the
question asked in a subproject of the research project URBAN DIASPORA –
Diaspora Communities and Materiality in Early Modern Urban Centers. The task
was to trace immigrant households in the multiethnic trading town of Nya Lödöse
(14731624 AD), located in Western Sweden.
It turned out to be possible to identify a probable nonlocal household. The
deviating consumption was not characterised by exotic species, but by certain
preserved fish products not eaten by the other residents. Particularly the extensive
consumption of dried flatfish was investigated further. In this paper I propose that
some preserved fish products are connected to regional cuisines, and therefore
might be used as indicators of consumers’ origin.
Anaïs Marrast* and Philippe Béarez
* MNHN – UMR 7209 (45 rue Buffon, CP 56, 75005 Paris – France); anais.marrast@mnhn.fr;
0687477382
Ancient fishing at the Neolithic settlement of Ra’s al Hamra 6 (Sultanate of
Oman)
Keywords: Sultanate of Oman; Fishing; Neolithic; Scombrids; Carangids
Traditional fishing is still practiced in the Sultanate of Oman, which is part of the
wellknown ‘land of the ichthyophagi’. Until recently, fisherbedouins travelled all
along the Omani coast, however, the history of the region is still poorly understood
and very few studies on fishing have been carried out.
Ra’s alHamra 6, a Neolithic shell midden situated near to the capital, Muscat,
benefited from a twoyear excavation campaign in 2012 and 2013. The site covers
a Holocene sequence of ca. 1000 years of occupation (ca. 5500–4500 BC)
divided into six periods. Here, we present the results of the analyses of the fish
remains from all layers that were identified in one trench at the site.
43
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
The study of more than 57,000 fish remains provided a faunal spectrum
comprising 33 families, 54 genera and 68 species. In all layers, Carangids and
Scombrids predominated. The high diversity of the spectra revealed that different
environnements surrounding the site were exploited, including mangroves,
beaches and rocky reefs. Net sinkers and hooks recovered at Ra’s alHamra 6 led
us to suggest that passive fishing techniques (traps and nets) had been employed
at the site. The seasonal behaviours of the species indicate that an allyear
occupation at the site could have taken place, contrary to the general idea of
winter occupation of Arabian coastal sites.
This research shows that fish remains can be a source of information to better
understand fishing practices, the choice settlements and the yearly cycle activity.
Luis Roberto Miranda Muñoz*
* Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Lima, Perù; lumifish@hotmail.com; 978319736
The fish from the Paloma village, Lima, Peru
Keywords: Lima; Peru; Anchovies; ENSO
The site of Paloma is located to the south of Lima, Peru. It is currently situated
between 200 and 250 m above sea level and 4 km from the sea. It is one of the
oldest fishing villages on the central coast of Peru dating to ca. 6000 BC.
Ichthyoarchaeological analyses has demonstrated that the assemblage was
largely comprised of anchovies, which alongside other species, had probably been
dried.
Gregory Neils Puncher1,2,10, Alessia Cariani2, Elisabetta Cilli3, Francesco
Massari2, Castrense Savojardo4, Sara De Fanti5, Agostino Leone2, Pier Luigi
Martelli4, Andrea Luchetti6, Barbara Mantovani6, Rita Casadio4, Arturo Morales7,
Vedat Onar8, Nezir Yaşar Toker9, Tom Moens10 and Fausto Tinti2
1
2
3
4
5
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, E2L 4L5, Saint
John, NB, Canada; gregory.puncher@unb.ca
Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics of Marine Resources and Environment (GenoDREAM),
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna,
Ravenna, Italy
Laboratories of Physical Anthropology and Ancient DNA, Department of Cultural Heritage,
University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
Biocomputing Group, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences,
University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental
Sciences, Bologna, Italy
44
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
6
Molecular Zoology laboratory, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences,
University of Bologna, Italy
7 Laboratory of Archaeozoology, Department of Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid,
Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
8 Osteoarchaeology Practice and Research Centre, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Istanbul University, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey
9 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Avcilar, Istanbul,
Turkey
10 Research Group Marine Biology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
The impact of fisheries on bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) over two
millennia (2nd century BC – 20th century AD): Genetic and genomic analyses
of ancient tuna remains from the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Black Seas
Keywords: Bluefin tuna; Ancient DNA; Genotype; Mediterranean Sea; Atlantic
Sea; Black Sea
Archaeological fish remains provide an invaluable opportunity to understand
subsistence economy, ancient culture, and the diet of past peoples. They can also
provide information about past genetic variability of halieutic resources from
different geographical areas and temporal periods, allowing for insights into the
impact of human activities and changing environmental factors. Among the many
fish species commercially exploited since prehistoric times, tuna is one of the most
economically significant.
Using advanced molecular techniques, ancient DNA was extracted from Atlantic
bluefin tuna vertebrae excavated from Late Iron Age and Roman settlements in
coastal Iberia (Portugal and Spain, 4th2nd century BC; n=23) and Byzantinian
Constantinople (4th15th century AD; n=6), as well as vertebrae from the Massimo
Sella archive located at the University of Bologna (Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic
Seas, Early 20th century; n=150). A high performance genotyping panel was
designed for the purpose of genotyping all archaeological samples along with
modern samples collected from the same geographic areas. Included in the panel
are 76 single nucleotide polymorphisms (hereafter SNPs) with high similarity to a
wide variety of genes associated with the musculoskeletal system, development,
metabolism, cellular function, osmoregulation, and immune response. An
additional 20 SNPs that provide significant discrimination among modern
populations were included in the panel. Finally, four modern and one ancient
sample were subjected to shotgun sequencing of the entire genome, with the aim
of screening the temporal variation of transposable element insertion profiles,
whose mobilisation increases when organisms are under stress.
45
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
David Orton*
* BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York (BioArCh, Environment Building,
University of York, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD, UK); david.orton@york.ac.uk; +447817427 921
Using fish bone data to construct longterm economic timeseries: Potential
and limitations of a new approach
Keywords: Time-series; Data synthesis; Chronological uncertainty; London; Urban
This paper demonstrates and evaluates a new approach to the construction of
longterm timeseries from fish bone data, aimed primarily at urban settlements
with multiple smalltomediumscale faunal assemblages. Individually these
assemblages may be hard to interpret; collectively they can represent the
economic history of a settlement.
In this approach, Monte Carlo simulation is used to combine data from numerous
sites and contexts at the maximum possible chronological resolution, avoiding the
need to lump data into broad phases and resulting in relative frequency
distributions that explicitly incorporate chronological uncertainty. In ideal
circumstances, where detailed samplevolume information is also available,
biases in the intensity of research on different chronological periods can also be
factored in, permitting inferences about changes in absolute rates of deposition
over time. These analyses can be carried out readily using a purposebuilt, freely
available R package, archSeries.
The approach is illustrated via two examples from Medieval England, respectively
addressing the Fish Event Horizon phenomenon as seen from London and the
development of Atlantic cod fisheries and import trade along the east coast.
Finally, the paper considers the potential for extending this approach to
chronological synthesis of nonfrequency data such as measurements and isotope
values.
Tarek Oueslati*
* CNRS University of Lille (Domaine Universitaire du Pont de Bois B.P. 60149, 59653 Villeneuve
d’Ascq, France); tarek.oueslati@univlille3.fr; +33689149316
A French Fish Event at the turn of the 10th century? Environment, economy
and ethnicity in maritime Flanders
Keywords: Carolingian; Gadids; Marine mammals; Maritime Flanders
Recently, sites dating between the 7th and the 11th centuries have been
discovered in Northern France; which have shed light on an evolution of fishing
46
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
techniques and grounds at the turn of the 9th10th centuries thus hinting at a trend
similar to the one characteristic of the British Isles.
In this respect, at the turn of the 10th century the French shores of the Channel
provide heterogeneous fish assemblages within which some contain very large
cod and haddock and sometimes modified or butchered whalebones. This
previously unseen trend of the exploitation of marine resources and its
distinctiveness from local anterior and contemporaneous patterns may be linked to
the presence of nonnative individuals. The mastering of gadid fishing and the
exploitation of marine mammals points towards Scandinavian traits, even though
no other arguments sustain this hypothesis. Instead, archaeological evidence
brings forward the consistency, across maritime Flanders, of the nature of the
buildings associated with the intensification of exploitation of marine resources:
chronology, orientation and architecture (division into three naves).
For a better understanding of these local changes, one must take into account
environmental and political dynamics. Indeed, geomorphology and historical texts
provide us with ample evidence of a recapture of this newly emerged land by the
earldom of Flanders for the purpose of grazing, as the land was still unsuitable for
cultivation because of salt marshdominated environment and the occurrence of
marine transgressions.
This paper will bring forward an integrated approach for the characterisation of the
evolution of fishing in maritime Flanders through the confrontation of fish catches
with archaeological and historical sources.
Kenneth Ritchie1 and Harry Robson2
1
2
Moesgaard Museum (Grundtvigsvej 77, DK7430 Ikast, Danmark); kcritchie@hotmail.com;
+452074 7127
Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, YO10 5DD, UK;
hkrobson@hotmail.co.uk
Fishing in Stone Age Southern Scandinavia
Keywords: Mesolithic; Denmark; Southern Scandinavia
Fish played a vital role in the development of the Stone Age in Southern
Scandinavia. From their inferred role in the colonisation of the region at the end of
the last Ice Age to the ongoing discussions about the role of aquatic resources in
the lives of the first farmers of the region, they are central to many of the great
archaeological questions of this era. Of great interest is the recovered evidence of
hundreds of thousands of fish remains from the Final Mesolithic, when fish (and
other aquatic resources) were a fundamental aspect of society. Using new
47
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
zooarchaeological evidence from two Late Mesolithic sites in Denmark (Hjarnø
and Skellerup Enge) as well as previously published assemblages, these data are
explored to provide information about the dynamic nature of subsistence practices
and other aspects of the archaeological cultures of this period.
Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo1, Leif Jonsson2, José Luis Arribas Pastor3, Laura
Llorente Rodriguez4 and Arturo Morales Muñiz1
1
Laboratorio de Arqueozoología (LAZUAM)Universidad Autónoma de MadridC/ Darwin, 2,
28049, Madrid; eufrasia.rosello@uam.es; arturo.morales@uam.es
2 The Göteborg Museum of Natural History, 402 35, Göteborg, Sweden
3 Alameda de Requalde 63, 3 C, 48012 Bilbao Vizcaya; jarribas@irakasle.net
4 BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YO10 5DD York. United Kingdom;
laura.llorenterodriguez@york.ac.uk
The European Hake (Merluccius merluccius L.): A deepwater fishery during
the Neolithic?
Keywords: European Hake; Deep-Water Fishing; Mesolithic; Neolithic Sweden;
Spain
The European hake is presently one of the most important species of the NE
Atlantic fisheries, its catches exceeding 100,000 tonnes. With a recorded
bathymetric range of 15600 fathoms (27.5–1,100 m) this nektobenthonic species
is characterised as a typical deepwater fish given that ca. 70% of the catch is
carried out at depths of more than 55 fathoms (100 m) and just a minimal fraction
(6%) at depths of less than 20 fathoms (36.5 m). Such a distribution must have
restricted its accessibility to fishermen operating near the shore at all times and it
is for that reason that its scarcity in the European ichthyoarchaeological record
came as no surprise. Set within the former scenario, it is remarkable that the
earliest evidences of hake in archaeological deposits that we report in this paper,
despite being located on opposite corners of the continent (Sweden and Spain),
derive from a time of the Holocene (Scandinavian MesolithicIberian Bronze Age)
when one assumes that deepwater fishing was not practiced by the coastal
populations. In this paper we explore the implications of these findings, their
coincidence with the Holocene’s Climatic Optimum and the possibility that hake
habits in the past may have differed notably from those that are recorded today.
Natalie Roski1, Wim Van Neer2, Wim Wouters2 and Jörg Linstädter3.
1
Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstr.
23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany; natalie.roski@student.unituebingen.
2 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B1000 Brussels, Belgium
48
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
3
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Kommission für Archäologie Außereuropäischer Kulturen,
Dürenstr. 3537, 53173 Bonn / Germany
Marine fish exploitation during the EpiPalaeolithic and Early Neolithic of
Abri Ifri Oudadane, North East Morocco
Keywords: Epi-Palaeolithic; Neolithic; Fish remains; Marine resources; Morocco
The preliminary study of the fish remains from Abri Ifri Oudadane (Eastern Rif,
Morocco) aimed to illustrate the relationship between humans and the
Mediterranean marine environment during the transition between the Epi
Paleolithic and the Early Neolithic. The present research deals with dry sieved fish
remains from the first two excavation campaigns. The material consists of
hundreds of cranial and vertebral elements, mainly from coastal fish species. They
are provisionally assigned to six families (Serranidae, Sparidae, Mugilidae,
Labridae, Carangidae, Muraenidae), two genera (Diplodus sp. And Decapterus
sp.), and more specifically to the species, Decapterus punctatus and
Gymnothorax unicolor. After the study has been completed, the fish data will be
compared to the terrestrial and other marine fauna in order to reconstruct
prehistoric diet based on the animal resources. Data recorded so far show that the
inhabitants of the Abri caught fishes in the EpiPalaeolithic (EPI) as well as in all
Early Neolithic phases (ENA, ENB, ENC). Larger fish (4050 cm SL) of the family
Serranidae were identified in all phases. With the beginning of the Early Neolithic
a significant increase in numbers is noted but most of the fish remains as well as
terrestrial fauna appear in the main occupation phase of Early Neolithic B.
Moreover, floated and additional material from the 2010 and 2011 excavation
campaigns is currently under investigation, which may shed new light on the
diversity, size ratio and exploitation of marine fish during all of the excavated
phases.
Thomas C. A. Royle1, Eric J. Guiry2 and Dongya Y. Yang1
1
Ancient DNA Laboratory, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British
Columbia, Canada; troyle@sfu.ca; 6049990069
2 Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis of fish remains from Charlie Lake
Cave (HbRf39), British Columbia, Canada
Keywords: Ancient DNA; Stable Isotopes; Canada; Historical Ecology
Excavations of Charlie Lake Cave (HbRf39) in Northeastern British Columbia,
Canada, have recovered fish remains from stratified deposits that span the Late
Pleistocene and Holocene. A previous morphologybased analysis of the fish
49
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
remains from the site (n=1235) identified the majority of the remains as sucker
(Catostomus sp.) (n=669). Due to fragmentation and a lack of interspecific
morphological variation, only a small number (n=20) of the remains were identified
to the species level, while a large number were simply identified as fish (n=465).
Consequently, little is currently known about the species composition of the
ichthyofaunal assemblage from Charlie Lake Cave, and how it changed over time.
To address this question, we used ancient DNA analysis to assign specieslevel
identifications to fish remains from Charlie Lake Cave, and investigate changes in
these species’ population structure. Moreover, we sought to explore temporal
shifts in the ecology of the identified species and their environment by conducting
stable isotope analysis on a subset of the remains. By documenting these kinds of
temporal changes though ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis, this research
can potentially shed light on the dynamics of the complex relationships between
fish, people, and the environment over the longue durée.
Frank Salvadori*
* Freelance at the Autonomous Province of Trento. Cultural Heritage Superintendence –
Archaeological Heritage Office (Loc. Fusina 2, 38087 Sella Giudicarie – TN);
salvadori1127@gmail.com; 3203239001
The ichthyofauna findings from Late Antiquity and Middle Ages Italian
contexts
Keywords: Zooarchaeology; Medieval archaeology; Fishing; Trade; Consumption
The widespread use of the natural sciences such as zooarchaeology in Historical
archaeology survey, in particular in Italian Medieval archaeology, has produced a
remarkable quantity of bioarchaeological data. This is important for many
zooarchaeological datasets including aquatic fauna, despite the taphonomic
factors that cause their disappearance in many cases. Since the 1970s there has
been an increasing number of zoological reports concerning aquatic animal
remains. This is apparent from a census of Italian zooarchaeological literature
from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. In fact, it shows an impressive assemblage
made up of 16,841 pieces classified and published, relevant to 10 zoological
classes subdivided into 203 lower taxonomical classifications. All of these
fragments came from 83 archaeological sites spanning 156 chronological
contexts.
With an abundant zooarchaeological heritage like this it is possible to try to
explore topics regarding usages and customs of past human groups developed
during history and associated with the exploitation of fish resources.
50
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Frank Salvadori1 and Barbara WIlkens2
1
Freelance at the Autonomous Province of Trento. Cultural Heritage Superintendence –
Archaeological Heritage Office (Loc. Fusina 2, 38087 Sella Giudicarie – TN);
salvadori1127@gmail.com; 3203239001
2 Department of Nature and Environmental Science, University of Sassari
Project SMaLL: The fish remains from San Martino Site (Lomaso, TN)
Keywords: Late Antiquity; Early Medieval; Alps
Monte San Martino is located about 20 km to the north of Lake Garda, in the west
ramification of the mountain that divides the Giudicarie valleys from the final tract
of the Sarca Valley.
The site was subjected to 11 archaeological investigations (20052015), which
were carried out together by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Trento,
the Municipality of Comano Terme and the Bayerische Akademie der
Wissenschaften (project SMaLL).
The archaeological survey has revealed the traces of a fortified settlement
covering an area of over 17,000 m2 wide, built from the mid 5th century and
occupied until the mid 7th century. It was protected by defensive walls constructed
around the perimeter, with watchtowers, gates and internal buildings, a road
system and a cemetery church. The size and the complexity of the investigations,
and the level of conservation of the surviving evidence, make it one of the most
significant Early Medieval settlements in the Central Alps.
More than 18,000 animal remains were recovered and analysed from the layers of
the site, among these 11 fragments are of osteichthyes. Their presence in a place
characterised by the complete absence of water resources, unfold important
questions about the supply system of a Late Antiquity and Early Medieval fortified
settlement.
Alessandra Tarter1, Marco Bertolini1 and Ursula Thun Hohenstein1
1
University of Ferrara (C.so Ercole I
alessandra.tarter@student.unife.it; +393401163774
d’Este,
32,
44121
Ferrara,
Italy);
Exploitation of fish resources during the Recent Bronze Age in the Polesine
area: The cases of Campestrin, Larda and Amolara sites (Rovigo
Northeastern Italy)
Keywords: Fish remains; Zooarchaeology; Recent Bronze Age; Polesine; NE Italy
Polesine is located between the lower courses of the Adige and the Po rivers
(Veneto region, Italy), archaeologically known for the village of Frattesina, an
51
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
important centre of production and trade of allochthonous raw materials since the
Recent/Final Bronze AgeEarly Iron Age.
Archaeological research documented settlements from the Early Bronze Age with
the discovery of Canàr site and from the MiddleRecent Bronze Age with the Larda
I and II di Gavello (Rovigo), Campestrin (Grignano Polesine, Rovigo) and Amolara
(Adria, Rovigo) sites, permitting further comparison.
These settlements have yielded an abundance of mammal, bird and fish remains,
with fish being the primary supplement to the economy of villages. Fishing activity
was already attested in the Canàr and Frattesina sites, where the exploitation was
focused on Cyprinidae and Esocidae.
In this research, the preliminary results of archaeozoological and taphonomic
analyses of fish remains coming from Campestrin, Larda and Amolara sites are
presented, with the aim of understanding the exploitation of fish resources in
Polesine during the Late Bronze Age.
The ichthyofauna consists of 4589 remains, of which 96.2% come from
Campestrin, 2.61% from Larda and 1.08% from Amolara. As much as ca. 80% of
the faunal assemblages was identified at species level and is attributable to
Cyprinidae (Tinca tinca, Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Leuciscus cephalus),
Esocidae (Esox lucius), Salmonidae (Thymallus thymallus, Salmo sp.), Percidae
(Perca fluviatilis) and Acipenseridae (Acipenser sp.).
Tatiana Theodoropoulou*
* Équipe de Protohistoire égéenne, ArScAnUMR 7041, France; tatheod@hotmail.com
Bringing the sea into the cave: Fish and other marine animal remains from
the Neolithic cave of Alepotrypa, Diros (Greece) and their mediterranean
context
Keywords: Greece; Neolithic; Cave; Coastal vs. open-sea; Marine resources
The study of marine resources from Neolithic cave contexts in the Mediterranean
sheds light on a specific aspect of cave use and searelated subsistence activities
during the Neolithic. The cave of AlepotrypaDiros in the Peloponese offers an
exemplary case of a coastal Neolithic community oriented towards the sea for the
needs of subsistence and beyond. Several lines of evidence, of which an
abundant marine faunal record including fish bones and shells is the most
prominent, reveal the particular connection of the cave with the sea. This paper
will focus on the fish remains from the cave, but will also offer a more holistic
52
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
appreciation of the connection of Neolithic users of the cave with the marine
element. Specific exploitation practices and diachronic trends will be discussed in
the overall context of marine animal exploitation within caves in the Mediterranean
during the Neolithic.
Wim Wouters*
* Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B1000 Brussels, Belgium
1,000 years of fishing and fish consumption in the town of Mechelen
(Belgium)
Keywords: Mechelen; Late Medieval; Post-Medieval; Fish consumption; Pollution;
Overfishing
Mechelen is a town on the river Dyle, a tributary of the Scheldt basin. Fish bones
from 10 different sites covering the 10th to 20th centuries AD from the town have
been studied. Through the analysis of material from different sites covering a large
timespan, a better understanding of fish and fish consumption in the past is
provided. The diachronic overview partly focuses on the rise of marine fish in the
food supply as a whole and also verifies the order in which the different marine
species gain in importance at the various sites. Does this increase coincide with a
depletion of freshwater fish stocks? Attention is paid to possible indications of
overfishing and the effects of pollution on the freshwater fish.
Mari Yamasaki*
* Graduiertenkolleg 1876 "Frühe Konzepte von Mensch und Natur", Johannes Gutenberg
Universität Mainz, Hegelstr. 59, D55122 Mainz, Germany
Fishing and connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age
Keywords: Eastern Mediterranean; Bronze Age; Seascapes; Coastscapes;
Islandscapes
Liminal in their position, nested between land and sea, Bronze Age coastal
communities played a crucial role in the development of the Eastern
Mediterranean network, becoming nodes of exchange between the foreign and
the local, but also as mediators between the hinterland and the sea, in virtue of
their quasiamphibian experience of both worlds.
The importance of these nodes for the understanding of the inter regional as well
as the local connectivity is well acknowledged within landscape studies, and so is
53
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
the necessity of moving the scope of research towards a more seacentred
perspective. In the past decades, this resulted in the coinage of the concepts of
seascapes, coastscapes and islandscapes, employed with varying degrees of
success and sometimesambiguous definitions.
What this work proposes is to provide an indepth analysis of these concepts
taking the study of the marine environment and exploitation of its resources as
its starting point. Through the examination of material culture dispersion patterns
and ichthyofaunal and malacological remains, this work will attempt to build an
interpretative framework for the concepts of seascapes that takes in
consideration both cultural and geographical criteria. Particular attention will be
given to the impact that fishing and coastal foraging activities might have had in
developing a propensity for connectivity.
Yevheniia Yanish*
* Department for Monitoring and conservation of animals; Shmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS,
Ukraine, Kyiv (Bogdana Khmelnits’kogo str., 15, Kyiv30, MSP, UA01601, Kyiv, Ukraine);
tinel@ukr.net; +380672724562
Results of the analysis of the fish bones from the archaeological
excavations of the Scythian hill fort, Severynivka
Keywords: Scythian; Severynivka; Cyprinids; Fish length; Fish weight
Ichthyological material, including 175 fish remains from the excavations of the
Scythian hill fort at Severynivka are presented. In total, eight species of fish were
identified in the assemblage: common carp (Cyprinus carpio), roach (Rutilus
rutilus), white bream (Blicca bjoerkna), common bream (Abramis brama),
common nase (Chondrostoma nasus), European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and
northern pike (Esox lucius). In this poster the anatomic and age composition is
defined. In addition, a reconstruction of fish length and weight is attempted. In
the osteological material roach dominated. Young fish (small size, age 1+ 2+
years) amounted to 50.0% of all fish remains. We assume that a significant
percentage of small and immature fish is associated with cases of insufficient
availability of food on the settlement, which were caused by some external
factors hunger as a result of crop failure, cattle pestilence or invasion of
enemies. In this case, as a rule, all available sources of food were utilised.
54
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
Chong Yu*
* Sun Yatsen University (Martin Hall, Sun Yatsen University, No. 135, Xingangxi Road,
Guangzhou, China); yuchong3@mail.sysu.edu.cn; +8615986442442
The exploitation of fish in the Pearl River Delta, South China during the
Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
Keywords: Fish resource; Pearl River Delta; Neolithic; Early Bronze Age
Zooarchaeological studies in China have previously focused on mammal
remains, just as in many other places around the world. However, mammal
species are only a part of the resource spectrum that people used in throughout
prehistory, especially in areas near water. The Pearl River is the second largest
river in China, which runs through most of the area of South Mainland China.
Zooarchaeological study in this area is relatively rare due to the lack of current
research interest and acidic soil conditions, which together have led to poor
preservation and collection. Therefore, neither the ancient environment nor
subsistence has been investigated systematically.
This research aims to establish the pattern of fish resource exploitation in the
Pearl River Delta area using faunal remains from four shell midden sites dating
from 6000 to 3000 BP, namely Guye, Cuntou, Yuanzhou and Lujingcun. This is
the first time that both qualitative and quantitative analyses were applied to fish
remains in the studied region and also will be one of the very few in the whole
country. The results of this study reveal details of past environment and ancient
subsistence in the Pearl River Delta during the Neolithic to Early Bronze Ages,
which gives information about the social complexity of the Neolithic to Bronze
Age transition.
Mirosława ZabilskaKunek*
* Institute of Archaeology, Rzeszów University (Moniuszki 10, PL35015 Rzeszów, Poland);
mirkazabilska@gmail.com; +48661650 035
Neolithic fish remains from Rakushechny Yar, South Russia
Keywords: Neolithic; Fish remains; South Russia
The site of Rakushechny Yar is located on the shore of the Don River, South
Russia. It is one of the earliest Neolithic sites of this region, which is particularly
important regarding the diffusion of the Near Eastern ‘Neolithic package’ and the
‘Neolithisation’ of Eastern Europe.
55
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
In the lower layers of the site, shells and fish remains alongside charcoal and
artefacts were recovered. To get an impression of the fish species in the region
as well as the specimens caught by the Neolithic settlers and the fishing
techniques employed, all fish remains were analysed. To date, the results
obtained demonstrate that fishing for freshwater and migratory species took
place.
Ambra Zambernardi*
* University of Turin – Cultures, Politics and Societies Department (Campus Luigi Einaudi, Lungo
Dora Siena 100, 10153, Torino); ambra.zambernardi@unito.it; +393484520795
The nonfish or the hyperfish of the Mediterranean: Bluefin tuna (Thunnus
thynnus) and its fishing communities through the tonnara culture
Keywords: Bluefin tuna; Tuna trap fishery; Interspecies ethnography; Local
knowledge; Mediterranean Sea; Sardinia
The tonnara system (En. tuna trap fishery, Fr. madrague, Sp. almadraba, Ar. almadhraba, Pt. almadrava or armaçao, Greek and Turkish dalian) is a traditional
fishing technique to hunt the Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus).
Once very common throughout the Mediterranean, this art has almost
disappeared, swept away by aggressive, disrespectful, voracious and
unsustainable fishing practices. Indeed, in the last decades, tuna fishing and
production systems across the Mediterranean have undergone profound changes:
recent innovations have been introduced to maximise captures, optimise
processing and enhance worldwide distribution. In particular we are witnessing a
gradual transition from a huntingfishing technique pursuing a wild prey to an
aquaculture system, even if capturebased; this obviously affects the fishermen’s
daily job and might end up in a loss of traditional knowledge and expertise,
through the obsolescence of their key technical skills. Nonetheless, through a
qualitative field research conducted in the past two years among the last
tonnarotti, I had the opportunity to observe and analyse this veritable cosmology
(thus far quite disregarded by academic anthropologists). This paper is based on
the outcomes of this ongoing research and it focuses on the relationship between
these Mediterranean fishing communities and their prey, the red tuna as human
partner and counterpart, merging history and anthropology. We could cautiously
call this an interspecies ethnography, stemming from the local unwritten
knowledge, both from the material (body techniques, gestures and sensoriality
56
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
experienced through the full physical contact with the fish among the slaughter
and butchering, the salting and culinary preparations) and immaterial standpoint
(symbols, imaginary, vernacular forms).
Ying Zhang*
* School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University (No. 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District,
Beijing, China); address: zhang_y@pku.edu.cn; 008618510600249
Freshwater fishing strategies in the Neolithic Yangtze River region:
Environment and culture
Keywords: Freshwater fishing strategies; Environment; Yangtze River; Integration
The Yangtze River originates in the Tibetan Plateau and runs eastward across
China, passing through a large area of diverse physiographic and environmental
settings. Ecologically, the Yangtze River region provides habitat for a great
diversity of plants and animals. Culturally, it is considered as the cradleland of
agriculture and civilisation in South China. There is a long history of fish
consumption in the Yangtze River region. Historical records and archaeological
findings imply that freshwater fish may have played an important part in the
subsistence economy, possibly more important than any other cultural centre in
China.
This paper examines archaeological evidence for freshwater fishing strategies in
the Yangtze River region, looking at the fish remains from Neolithic sites dating
between ca. 8000–4000 BP. It aims to reconstruct the fishing methods, fishing
grounds, and likely fishing seasons using both fish remains and other
archaeological artefacts. By comparing the fish assemblages from sites of different
ages and environmental settings, this paper aims to investigate the differences in
the environmental and cultural aspects, and to generate a broader view of the
subsistence economy.
Ivana Živaljević*, Nemanja Marković and Milomir Maksimović
* BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Serbia (Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, Novi Sad 21000,
Serbia); ivziv81@yahoo.com; ivana.zivaljevic@biosense.rs; +381638941820
Food worthy of kings and saints: Fish consumption in the Medieval
monastery Studenica (Serbia)
Keywords: Medieval fish trade; Sturgeons; Feasts; Religious celebrations;
Studenica monastery
57
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
The paper focuses on fish consumption and longdistance fish trade in the
Medieval monastery Studenica in Serbia, from the perspective of archaeozoology,
historical sources and pictorial evidence. Medieval written sources on the subject
suggest that fish was available primarily to particular social classes – the royalty,
nobles and monasteries. Preserved muniments indicate that the majority of
distinguished monasteries during the 13th15th centuries had their own fishing
ponds, fishing grounds and their own fishermen. Fish consumption occupied an
important role in monastic contexts, both in Christian religious practices (e.g. Lent)
as well as in celebrations commemorating the Virgin Mary and the monastery
founder, during which highquality fish was obtained from greater distances.
Ichthyoarchaeological remains discussed in this paper originate from waste
deposition areas within and outside of the ramparts of the Studenica monastery,
accumulated during the 14th and first half of the 15th centuries. Apart from remains
of locally available species (catfish, carp, pike), the faunal assemblage contained
the remains of migratory sturgeons (beluga, Russian sturgeon, stellate sturgeon)
most likely transported from the Danube area, about 200 km away as the crow
flies. Skeletal element distribution, butchering traces and size estimations (of
beluga in particular) indicate that large specimens (over 2 m in total length) were
brought whole to the monastery, possibly dried or salted. Their occurrence is an
additional indicator of longdistance fish trade recorded in muniments, and it offers
new insights into economic, social and religious practices in Medieval Eastern
Orthodox monasteries.
Ivana Živaljević* and Sofija Stefanović
* BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Serbia (Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, Novi Sad 21000,
Serbia); ivziv81@yahoo.com; ivana.zivaljevic@biosense.rs; +381638941820
Neolithic fishing landscapes: Case studies from Serbian sites in the gorges
and in the plains
Keywords: Fishing; Mesolithic; Neolithic; Danube Gorges; Pannonian plain
The MesolithicNeolithic settlements in the Danube Gorges (NorthCentral
Balkans) flourished in a specific landscape, with rapid changes in the riverbed,
whirlpools, cataracts and strong river currents. These features were particularly
favourable for fishing, and led to the prolonged stay of human communities during
the Mesolithic (ca. 95006200 cal BC) and the emergence of permanent
settlements in the Transformational MesolithicNeolithic phase (ca. 62005900 cal
BC). Even with the appearance of domestic animals after 6000 cal BC, these
settlements remained in use primarily as fishing centres, suggesting that
58
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
subsistence strategies in the Danube Gorges remained unchanged even after the
appearance of the first farming and stock breeding communities. Apart from the
Danube Gorges, these ‘new’ communities settled in strikingly different landscapes
– the hilly terrain of the Central Balkans and the flat terrain of the Pannonian plain,
more suitable for farming and animal herding. However, the spatial clustering of
Early Neolithic sites in the vicinity of rivers and lakes, as well as the occurrence of
fish remains, signal that fishing occupied a significant role at least at some
locations. The paper explores the role and extent of aquatic resource exploitation
at the advent of food production, both in the Danube Gorges area where fishing
represented a long local tradition, and in the newly established Neolithic sites in
the Pannonian plain. The aim of this study, as well as future analyses of Early
Neolithic faunal assemblages, is to problematise the presumed dichotomy
between Mesolithic and Early Neolithic subsistence strategies, and the
relationship between economic practices and particular landscapes.
59
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
Number of participants, papers and posters presented, in former FRWG Meetings 1
Meeting
1
Participants
Papers
Posters
Copenhagen
1981
16
7
Sophia Antipolis
1983
30
19
Groningen
1985
28
19
5
York
1987
38
35
3
Stora Kornö
1989
32
31
6
Schleswig
1991
33
37
5
Leuven
1993
48
36
6
Madrid
1995
57
50
12
Panama City
1997
38
32
3
New York City
1999
43
35
Paihia
2001
56
39
Guadalajara
2003
45
34
Augusta Raurica Basel
2005
45
31
6
Antibes
2007
87
38
17
Poznań – Toruń
2009
75
43
7
Jerusalem
2011
64
40
12
Tallinn
2013
35
32
3
Lisboa
2015
71
42
16
Alghero – Stintino
2017
74
47
15
after Makowiecki D., HamiltonDyer S., Riddler I., TrzaskaNartowski N. and Makohonienko M.
(eds.) 2009. The 15th Meeting of the ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group (FRWG). Fishes –
Culture – Environment Through Archaeoichthyology, Ethnography & History, Środowisko I
Kultura, 7 (Environment and Culture, 7): 10; Zohar I. and Fradkin A. (eds.), 2013. Fish and
Fishing. Archaeological, Anthropological, Taphonomical and Ecological perspectives.
Archaeofauna, 22; Lôugas L. (ed.), 2013. A fish Story or History? Evidence from the past.
Program and Abstracts. 17th Meeting of the ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group, Tallinn; Gabriel
S., Davis S. J. M., Costa A. M. (eds.) 2015. Fishing Through Time. Archaeoichthyology,
Biodiversity, Ecology and Human Impact on Aquatic Environments, 18th Fish Remains Working
Group Abstract book (Trabalhos do LARC, 8), Lisboa.
60
ICAZ | 19th FRWG Meeting | Sardinia, 2017
61
ITALY | ALGHERO - STINTINO |
| 1st - 7th OCTOBER | 2017
Fish and Fishing communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries
62
Contributors
Comune di
Stintino
Patronage
Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio
Comune di
Alghero
Thanks to:
Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle arti e Paesaggio per le province di Sassari e Nuoro
Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Cagliari e per le
province di Oristano, Medio Campidano, CarboniaIglesias, Ogliastra Area funzionale Patrimonio
Archeologico
Related papers
Adjustment computations: spatial data analysis
International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2011
The Values of a Classical Education: Satirical Elements in Robert Graves's Claudius Novels
Review of English Studies, 1995
Do translators use machine translation and if so, how? Results of a survey held among professional translators
Proceedings of Translating and the Computer 44, 2023
Recenzió: Neumann Tibor: Registrum proventuum Regni Hungariae. A Magyar Királyság kincstartójának számadáskönyve (1494–1495).
Oktatás Erdélyben – az elmélettől a gyakorlatig, a középkortól a 20. századig. ERDÉLYI ÉVSZÁZADOK A KOLOZSVÁRI MAGYAR TÖRTÉNETI INTÉZET ÉVKÖNYVE VI., 2021
The Semiotics of Subtitling Linde, Zoe de & Kay, Neil
Cadernos De Traducao, 2000
Migration of vinyl chloride into PVC-bottled drinking-water assessed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 1991
Growth of Mycelium of Different Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms on Medium Supplemented with Digestate from AD Biogas Plant
Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 2017
Reseña de "Floire & Blancheflor and the European afrappece" de Patricia E. Grieve
Nueva Revista De Filologia Hispanica, 2000
Julia com física: uma introdução
Julia com física: uma introdução , 2023
Dynamic mechanical behavior of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)–glass beads composites
Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 1976
Related topics
- Find new research papers in:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Health Sciences
- Ecology
- Earth Sciences
- Cognitive Science
- Mathematics
- Computer Science