Archaeozoology in Late Antiquity (fourth to fifth centuries): the faunal assemblage of the Roman villa of San Pelayo (Aldealengua, Salamanca)

Abstract

The study of archaeological remains from Late Antiquity in the Iberian Peninsula has developed significantly in recent years. However, interest has been directed primarily towards material culture, while biotic remains have been a secondary research topic. The present article analyses the faunal remains obtained in the excavations carried out in 2001 at the site of San Pelayo (Salamanca), a settlement interpreted as a Roman villa. The material found has been dated to the transition from the fourth to the fifth century, a period when the site had already lost its function as an aristocratic residence. The faunal remains have been analysed from the anatomical, taxonomic, osteometric and taphonomic perspectives in order to obtain information on the economy of the settlement. The analysis reveals that meat consumption came mainly from a livestock herd made up of sheep and goats and, to a lesser extent, cattle and suidae. Other animal resources were acquired from wild mammals (red deer and rabbits), although hunting can be considered a secondary activity in San Pelayo. The diet also included resources from areas near the site, such as birds, fish and molluscs. Finally, we have documented the use of animal bone and antler for the production of a bone industry; determining the operational processes involved in the transformation of these raw materials into objects.