Abstract:

Most faunal remains recovered from archaeological sites are waste products generated from the processing and consumption of meat by the people who lived there. Studying such remains thus provides fundamental data on the food consumption of the human communities that generated this waste. Taking into account these considerations, we want to show how the tools of archaeozoology for studying food can help to shed light on various aspects of Roman meat diet, based on the presentation of several case studies. By studying taxonomic and anatomical representation, estimating mortality profiles and analyzing fracture and burning patterns, we have been able to document the animals that were consumed in villas and cities, the portions of meat that were acquired in a pottery kiln site, the production of preserved products that was carried out in a city and the different culinary techniques which were used in various settlements to cook food.