The archaeology of food is a major research field and remains of food preparation and consumption give valuable glimpses into past societies, but major knowledge gaps exist even for well-known societies such as ancient Greece and Rome. Project SACHROFICS investigates the role of food and more specifically sacrificial meat, in the societies developed in Cyprus during the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods (450 BCE-400 CE). Spearheaded by zooarchaeology (the study of ancient animal remains) and complemented by the study of microwear on animal teeth and archaeobotanical data (ancient plant remains), SACHROFICS generates high-resolution insights on cultural, political, social and economic dynamics as reflected in sacrificial practices. For the first time, analysis of eastern Mediterranean faunal assemblages elucidates the production, distribution and deposition of sacrificial meat remains. Food, beyond sustenance and health, offers an arena for individuals, social groups and entire societies to negotiate social, economic and political relations. The democratic ideals and civic values bequeathed to us by the Greco-Roman world were mediated through sacrifice, which is thus a vital part of our European heritage. With its study, SACHROFICS enriches our understanding of the origins of contemporary society. Thysia (‘Olympian’ sacrifice) in particular (the burning of femur/tail bones in fat), was the main public institution for distributing meat in Classical cities and their Hellenistic and Roman successors. Meat was politically and socially important, sparking debates on frequency, scale, contexts of its consumption and role in levelling or re-affirming status. These debates have been dominated by literary sources, but SACHROFICS provides scrutiny of those sources with data based on the study of animal remains in sanctuaries. In addressing these gaps, SACHROFICS focuses on the production, distribution and consumption of sacrificial meat in Cyprus (450 BCE-400 CE). Its broad chronological span is balanced by its geographical focus, zooarchaeological core and interdisciplinary approach. The large volume of zooarchaeological data collected document clear differences between secular and ritual contexts in human-animal interactions, as well as important differences in the practices between different sanctuaries. This is also supported by dental microwear analysis (i.e. the diet of animals before sacrifice), as well as data from neighbouring geographical areas. Integration with archaeobotany, human osteology, literary evidence, and studies of sacrificial food in the eastern Mediterranean contributes a fuller, more balanced picture and integrates Cyprus in her wider region.
