Developments in animal husbandry between the Late Roman period and the Early Middle Ages: a comparative study of the evidence from Britain and the Lower Rhineland

This study investigates changes in animal husbandry practices between the Late Roman and Early Anglo-Saxon periods in Britain; contemporary assemblages from the Lower Rhineland are used to provide comparative information on the nature and scale of change. All traditional zooarchaeological analyses have been employed; however, the main focus of this study rests on the comparison of biometrical data. Size improvements are a key feature of Roman influence on animal husbandry in western Europe; the nature and reasons behind such improvements highlight important characters of livestock exploitation during the Roman period, and their abandonment or maintenance can be informative of post-Roman husbandry strategies. The results indicate substantial discontinuity in the aims and scale of animal exploitation in Early Anglo-Saxon England. This pattern is enhanced by the continuity and accentuation of ‘Romanised’ animal husbandry practices into the Late Roman period: such continuity attests to the survival of efficient exploitation of the island’s resources beyond the politico-military crisis of the 3rd century. The need to produce surpluses from agriculture and animal exploitation disappears with the end of the Empire. Zooarchaeological data from Early Anglo-Saxon assemblages reveal more generalised, relaxed animal husbandry strategies typical of self-sufficient communities, with pronounced variability dictated by local needs and environmental constraints. Cattle decrease in size, reflecting the fact that large, robust animals to exploit in intensive agricultural production were no longer needed. On the other hand, the improved sizes of sheep, horse, and chicken fitted well the aims of Early Anglo-Saxon herders, and were largely maintained; this evidence suggest that post-Roman communities did not simply cope with adverse economic conditions, but responded appropriately to the new circumstances.