Is it all about the economy? To what extent did the Roman economy shape the morphology of livestock?

Abstract

The main domesticated animals (pig, cattle, sheep and chicken) underwent some of the most prominent size increase and morphological changes in past husbandry practices during the Roman period. The phenomenon is now well described for many parts of the Roman Empire. Variability in the timing and intensity of changes have been highlighted between different regions. The purposes of rearing taller and more robust animals have also been extensively discussed with a strong bias in favour of economic explanations. This paper aims to further investigate the drivers of cattle morphological evolution by combining both bioarchaeological evidence and written sources. A comparative approach between several areas of the Roman Empire will be conducted to take into account the environmental, economic, cultural, and religious factors behind these major changes in animal management. In particular, this paper will address the question not yet investigated of the impact of the ritual practices on the dynamics of morphological changes in livestock. By adopting a similar holistic approach to this phenomenon in different regions of the Roman Empire, this paper also aims to clarify the respective roles of regional and supra-regional drivers in the animal economy.