Diet and meat supply of the Roman army at the Danube limes. Case study of the fort of Diana-Karataš

Abstract

Predmet istraživanja disertacije su ishrana i snabdevanje mesom rimske vojske stacionirane na dunavskom limesu između 1. i 6. veka, na primeru utvrđenja Diana – Karataš, koje se nalazi u blizini Kladova. Osnovu istraživanja predstavlja analiza i interpretacija životinjskih ostataka sa ovog lokaliteta. U pitanju je najveći auksilijarni logor u ovom delu Podunavlja, u kome su različite trupe bile stacionirane tokom čitavog istraživanog perioda. Osim vojne funckije, a usled geografskog položaja na samom izlazu iz Đerdapke klisure, predstavljao je i važan trgovinski punkt. Cilj istraživanja disertacije je rekonstrukcija značaja različitih domaćih i divljih životinja u ishrani vojnih jedinica u utvrđenju kroz vreme, kao i upoređivanje sa istovremenim nalazištima civilnog karaktera na teritoriji centralnog Balkana, odnosno sa drugim vojnim logorima na širem prostoru Evrope.Rezultati su pokazali da tokom vremena dolazi do značajnih promena u ishrani stacioniranih vojnika. Tokom najranije faze, krajem 1. i početkom 2. veka, ostaci domaće svinje najbrojniji su u analiziranom materijalu. Vremenom dolazi do promena, pa od 4. do 6. veka primat preuzimaju ostaci govečeta. Ovakve promene u zastupljenosti domaće svinje mogu biti rezultat pritiska koji dolazak rimske vojske predstavlja za lokalnu populaciju, koja nije bila u mogućnosti da odmah odgovori na značajno veću potražnju hrane. Vojne trupe redovno su dopunjavale ishranu divljim sisarima i ribama, što je posebno izraženo u periodu od 4. do 6. veka, za šta uzroke treba tražiti u društveno–političkim promenama do kojih u ovom periodu dolazi. Vojnici su se u najvećoj meri snabdevali lokalno, s obzirom da podaci govore su životinje kasapljene unutar utvrđenja, odnosno da su u njega stizale žive. Takođe, prisustvo veoma mladih jedinki pokazuje da je barem deo domaćih svinja i kaprina uzgajan u samom utvrđenju. Iako rezultati sugerišu izvesne promene u veličini domaćih životinja, što je u skladu sa sličnim istraživanjima u drugim delovima Evrope, detaljna analiza je pokazala da one nisu statistički značajne, odnosno da ne postoje jasni trendovi promena u veličini tokom perioda trajanja utvrđenja. Istraživanje je takođe pokazalo postojanje razlika u ishrani vojske i civilnog stanovništva na prostoru centralnog Balkana tokom ispitivanih perioda, što može biti rezultat geografskih odlika Đerdapske klisure, ali i činjenice da su vojne trupe imale mogućnost praktikovanja jedne vrste „povlašćene“ ishrane. Dodatno, upoređivanje dobijenih rezultata sa podacima iz vojnih logora u drugim delovima Evrope pokazuje da nije postojao uniformni vid „vojne ishrane“, već da je ona u mnogome zavisila od geografskih specifičnosti određene regije. Ova disertacija predstavlja pionirsko istraživanje kada su teme ishrane i snabdevanja rimske vojske u Srbiji u pitanju i kao takva polsužiće kao osnova za otvaranje novih istraživačih pitanja u budućnosti.This dissertation examines the diet and meat supply of the Roman army stationed along the Danube Limes between the 1st and 6th centuries, using the example of the Diana – Karataš fort, located near the city of Kladovo. The research is based on the analysis and interpretation of animal remains from this site, which represents the largest auxiliary fort in this part of the Danube region, where various troops were stationed throughout the entire studied period. In addition to its military function, due to its geographical position at the exit of the Iron Gates Gorge, it also served as an important trade center. The aim of the dissertation is to reconstruct the significance of domestic and wild animals in the diet of military units, over time, and to compare the findings with contemporary civilian sites in the central Balkans, as well as with other military sites across Europe.The results indicate significant changes when it comes to the diet of the soldiers stationed at Karataš. During the earliest phase, at the end of the 1st and the beginning of the 2nd century, domestic pig remains were the most abundant in the analyzed material. Changes occured over time, with cattle remains becomimng the most dominant between the 4th and 6th centuries. These changes may be the result of the pressure exerted by the arrival of the Roman army on the local population, which may not have been able to meet the increased food demand. The troops regularly supplemented their diet with wild mammals and fish, a practice that became particularly pronounced during the 4th – 6th centuries, likely due to the socio-political changes occurring at the time. The soldiers were mostly supplied locally, as animals were butchered within the fort itself, suggesting that they were brought to the fort still alive. Additionally, the presence of very young individuals indicates that at least a portion of domestic pigs and caprines were bred within the fort itself. Although the results suggest certain changes in the size of domestic animals, consistent with similar findings from other parts of Europe, a detailed analysis has shown that these changes are not statistically significant and that no clear trends in size variation are observed throughout the fort’s occupation. The study also revealed differences in the diet of the military and civilian populations in the central Balkans during the examined periods, which may be attributed to the geographical features of the Iron Gates and the fact that military troops could practice a form of "privileged" diet. Furthermore, comparisons with data from military camps in other parts of Europe indicate that there was no uniform "military diet"; rather, it largely depended on the specific geographical characteristics of each region. This dissertation represents a pioneering study on the topics of diet and food supply in the Roman army in Serbia and, as such, will serve as a foundation for future research on related questions