Kroll, Henriette
Tiere im Byzantinischen Reich
The Byzantine Empire (395-1453 AD) has long been the subject of research in the humanities. In particular, the large number of available written sources has provided the basis for reconstructing the political, economic and socio-cultural developments of the period. However, the written sources are largely silent on everyday matters: they did not seem worth mentioning. This includes food. Comprehensive work in the natural sciences is ideally suited to fill this gap and to corroborate the findings of the written sources.
As a first step in this direction, this volume summarises the status quo of archaeozoology for the Byzantine Empire. It shows what is already known about Byzantine animal husbandry, hunting, fowling and fishing, and what cultural, historical or eco-geographical factors influenced these economic sectors in the provinces. Regional and temporal differences are considered as well as commonalities, including the importance of Roman tradition and the role of Christianity in nutrition.