Periodic Reporting for period 1 - InTer AquAS (Integrating Terrestrial and Aquatic Archaeozoological Studies: Venice and the northern Adriatic lagoons between Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2024-11-30
The project InTer AquAS (Integrating Terrestrial and Aquatic Archaeozoological Studies: Venice and the northern Adriatic lagoons between Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages) investigated elements of continuity and discontinuity and spatial differences in the human-animal-environment relationship at the Roman-early medieval transition along the north-western Adriatic coast, with a special focus on the Venetian Lagoon. The main aim of the project, undertaken through the archaeozoological analyses of animal remains (bones, teeth, shells) recovered from archaeological sites, was to reconstruct historical and environmental dynamics in a region that, in the period considered, witnessed the birth of key politico-economic players in the development of medieval Europe (Venice in primis); at the same time, the project aimed to understand how different food production or procurement practices were adapted in these environments, and to assess the potentials of such models in the improvement of current sustainable animal husbandry initiatives or wild resource use.
The region considered is characterised by the presence of wetlands, with lagoons, rivers and canals influencing the nature of human settlement and activities. For this reason, the project combined the study of selected terrestrial and aquatic fauna: the main domestic mammal species (cattle, sheeo/goat, pig, horse) and chicken, wildfowl (represented by wild ducks and geese), and molluscs (represented by the oyster, regularly harvested in the past and abundant in archaeological sites). The methodology adopted focussed on biometrical and isotopic analyses of bones and teeth, along with more traditional types of archaeozoological evidence. Biometry reconstructs size and robustness ranges in domestic animals, allowing to identify improvements or dimensional/robustness decreases between periods, driven by local or wider scale economic needs; it also allows to reconstruct sex ratios, also an indication of herd management. In wild anatids, combinations of different measurements are used to identify to species the remains of osteologically similar ducks and geese, while in oysters they provide information on the environment, harvesting grounds, and exploitation practices. Isotopic analyses, on the other hand, look at proportions of selected isotopes (variations of specific chemical elements) in the bone collagen and dental enamel, and provide information on feeding practices, seasonality, and animal mobility in general. These information are complemented by traditional achaeozoological evidence, such as species frequency, culling strategies, carcass processing, and pathology.
The InTer AquAS project filled in a major gap in archaeozoological research in the north-western Adriatic, as well as in the time periods considered. The reconstruction of local and regional trends in animal use informed on historical processes in the area consdiered. The existence of specific environmental conditions (wetlands and lagoons), tackled through the integration of the study of terrestrial and aquatic animal resources, impacted considerably on animal use. The project reconstructed how spatial and resource limitations were overcome through the integration of domestic animal management, horticulture, wildfowling and other aquatic resource use, within small-scale, mostly self-contained and sustainable food production models.
The project also contributed to reconstruct the lagoons’ historical and ecological background, through the study of the remains of domestic and wild animals that lived there. It identified the regular presence of small-scale animal husbandry in all the investigated islands during the Middle Ages, the species of wild anatids present in different locations at different times (each having its own environmental preferences and degree of tolerance to anthropic disturbance), and the regular harvesting of molluscs from the lagoon. Therefore, besides reconstructing a key aspect of historical dynamics and an alternative, sustainable and environmentally adapted food production model, the project improved knowledge of past lagoon human-animal-environment dynamics, promoting a better understanding of cause-and-effect processes affecting water environments.
In the long term, any positive influence on food production practices, as well as on local environmental and education policies, can contribute to support sustainable food production and lagoon exploitation, a better awareness of past and present human-animal relationships and, consequently, closer ties and integration within the surrounding environment.
The region considered is characterised by the presence of wetlands, with lagoons, rivers and canals influencing the nature of human settlement and activities. For this reason, the project combined the study of selected terrestrial and aquatic fauna: the main domestic mammal species (cattle, sheeo/goat, pig, horse) and chicken, wildfowl (represented by wild ducks and geese), and molluscs (represented by the oyster, regularly harvested in the past and abundant in archaeological sites). The methodology adopted focussed on biometrical and isotopic analyses of bones and teeth, along with more traditional types of archaeozoological evidence. Biometry reconstructs size and robustness ranges in domestic animals, allowing to identify improvements or dimensional/robustness decreases between periods, driven by local or wider scale economic needs; it also allows to reconstruct sex ratios, also an indication of herd management. In wild anatids, combinations of different measurements are used to identify to species the remains of osteologically similar ducks and geese, while in oysters they provide information on the environment, harvesting grounds, and exploitation practices. Isotopic analyses, on the other hand, look at proportions of selected isotopes (variations of specific chemical elements) in the bone collagen and dental enamel, and provide information on feeding practices, seasonality, and animal mobility in general. These information are complemented by traditional achaeozoological evidence, such as species frequency, culling strategies, carcass processing, and pathology.
The InTer AquAS project filled in a major gap in archaeozoological research in the north-western Adriatic, as well as in the time periods considered. The reconstruction of local and regional trends in animal use informed on historical processes in the area consdiered. The existence of specific environmental conditions (wetlands and lagoons), tackled through the integration of the study of terrestrial and aquatic animal resources, impacted considerably on animal use. The project reconstructed how spatial and resource limitations were overcome through the integration of domestic animal management, horticulture, wildfowling and other aquatic resource use, within small-scale, mostly self-contained and sustainable food production models.
The project also contributed to reconstruct the lagoons’ historical and ecological background, through the study of the remains of domestic and wild animals that lived there. It identified the regular presence of small-scale animal husbandry in all the investigated islands during the Middle Ages, the species of wild anatids present in different locations at different times (each having its own environmental preferences and degree of tolerance to anthropic disturbance), and the regular harvesting of molluscs from the lagoon. Therefore, besides reconstructing a key aspect of historical dynamics and an alternative, sustainable and environmentally adapted food production model, the project improved knowledge of past lagoon human-animal-environment dynamics, promoting a better understanding of cause-and-effect processes affecting water environments.
In the long term, any positive influence on food production practices, as well as on local environmental and education policies, can contribute to support sustainable food production and lagoon exploitation, a better awareness of past and present human-animal relationships and, consequently, closer ties and integration within the surrounding environment.
The activities performed included the acquisition of a solid historical, archaeological, and archaeozoological background on the regions and time periods considered by the project; the recording of archaeozoological (especially biometrical) data from 10 archaeological sites and 19 phases from such sites, and their integration with published data from seven other sites; the sampling of bones and teeth of mammal and bird remains for isotopic analyses (also as part of training activities); the processing of all data, interpretation of the results and their contextualisation within the acquired historical and archaeological backgrounds.
The project achieved to acquire and process a higher than expected amount of biometrical and isotopic data.
In detail, 8,949 biometrical data from 6,515 domestic mammal and chicken remains were recorded. 983 bone samples were taken for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (plus 51 from other species for comparison); 951 dental enamel samples were taken sequentially along 71 cattle and sheep/goat tooth crowns for carbon and oxygen stable isotope analyses; 206 dental enamel samples were taken sequentially along 71 cattle and sheep/goat tooth crowns for strontium isotopic analyses. Traditional and biometrical data were also recorded on anatid (ducks and geese) bones; in detail, 1,451 biometrical data were recorded from 571 bones. Finally, traditional (including infestation) and biometrical data were recorded on oyster shells; in detail, 3,465 biometrical data and 232 infestation records were recorded from 855 valves.
The results from the study of terrestrial and aquatic resources have been compared to offer integrated interpretations of food production in the Roman and medieval lagoon. In turn, these results have also been compared to other lines of archaeological evidence, especially archaeobotany and geoarchaeology. Such integrations were fundamental to reconstruct the optimisation of use of limited space and resources in lagoon islands, which was indeed achieved by intersecting multiple fields of food production. Although the results of isotopic analyses are not yet available (due to laboratory procedures), the evidence so far produced is already indicating an interdependence in the obtainment/use of different resources within an efficient and locally sustainable food production model.
The project achieved to acquire and process a higher than expected amount of biometrical and isotopic data.
In detail, 8,949 biometrical data from 6,515 domestic mammal and chicken remains were recorded. 983 bone samples were taken for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (plus 51 from other species for comparison); 951 dental enamel samples were taken sequentially along 71 cattle and sheep/goat tooth crowns for carbon and oxygen stable isotope analyses; 206 dental enamel samples were taken sequentially along 71 cattle and sheep/goat tooth crowns for strontium isotopic analyses. Traditional and biometrical data were also recorded on anatid (ducks and geese) bones; in detail, 1,451 biometrical data were recorded from 571 bones. Finally, traditional (including infestation) and biometrical data were recorded on oyster shells; in detail, 3,465 biometrical data and 232 infestation records were recorded from 855 valves.
The results from the study of terrestrial and aquatic resources have been compared to offer integrated interpretations of food production in the Roman and medieval lagoon. In turn, these results have also been compared to other lines of archaeological evidence, especially archaeobotany and geoarchaeology. Such integrations were fundamental to reconstruct the optimisation of use of limited space and resources in lagoon islands, which was indeed achieved by intersecting multiple fields of food production. Although the results of isotopic analyses are not yet available (due to laboratory procedures), the evidence so far produced is already indicating an interdependence in the obtainment/use of different resources within an efficient and locally sustainable food production model.
Until now, in the north-western Adriatic the lack of comprehensive and innovative regional archaeozoological studies on the Late Antique and early medieval periods was preventing a contextualised reconstruction of past economies and human-environment-animal interactions; this was in sharp contrast with the advancement of archaeological research in the area. The InTer AquAS project filled in this gap, adapting the study of animal remains to the presence of peculiar environmental contexts – that of the lagoons and wetlands – by focussing on both terrestrial and aquatic faunas, and integrating traditional archaeozoological data with advanced techniques of analysis. This combination of historically and environmentally targeted spatio-temporal comparisons, animal category analyses, and research methods had never been previously attempted; its results will substantially contribute to the reconstruction of historical dynamics, as well as offer the opportunity for improvement of current sustainable animal use in wetlands and of educational and environmetnal policies.
In order to ensure the successful accomplishment of the project and dissemination (and reuse) of the results, these need to be updated and further contextualised once the samples for isotopic analyses have been measured by the designated laboratories. Traditional, biometrical, and isotopic results are being/will be disseminated through forthcoming publications in peer-reviewed sceintific journals, at scientific meetings taking place in 2025, and with further outreach publications approachable by the wider public. Scientific disseminations include the publication of open access raw data in the form of databases, so that the project results can be reproduced and used in future projects and by other researchers.
In order to ensure the successful accomplishment of the project and dissemination (and reuse) of the results, these need to be updated and further contextualised once the samples for isotopic analyses have been measured by the designated laboratories. Traditional, biometrical, and isotopic results are being/will be disseminated through forthcoming publications in peer-reviewed sceintific journals, at scientific meetings taking place in 2025, and with further outreach publications approachable by the wider public. Scientific disseminations include the publication of open access raw data in the form of databases, so that the project results can be reproduced and used in future projects and by other researchers.