Economic adaptations or cultural change? The Romanisation rhythms of 'Hispania tarraconensis' from a zooarchaeological perspective

Abstract

Over the past few years, zooarchaeological studies in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula suggest that a significant dietary change occurred from the Iron Age to Roman times. This entailed different consumption patterns and also changes in the size of the main domesticates. This paper offers an integrated study of the zooarchaeological evidence from present-day Catalonia, part of the Roman province of Hispania tarraconensis. Our study shows that cultural change probably took place at different levels and rhythms at different settlements, probably even at the household scale. In addition, our results highlight the value of zooarchaeology as a tool in the study and understanding of colonial encounters, but also the inherent risk in analysing cultural change based on a single archaeological indicator.