Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

OLD DONGOLA

SUDAN

commonly consumed in the 7th century
was beef and mutton in practically the
same quantities and some pork thrown in.
Chiefly adult specimens were slaughtered,
young animals being consumed only after
reaching “adult” size. Seven or so centuries
later, the pattern of consumption had
changed with cattle becoming the chief
source of meat. This is very well observable
in the material from the palace courtyard,
where the bones of this species pre-
dominated in the osteological assemblage.
No remains of pig were discovered, this
being presumably the effect of political
and religious changes in the land.

All the studied remains constituted
waste, yet different stages of meat processing
were represented. The bones from B.I.15
were kitchen waste as indicated by the marks
on bones and share of body parts. The
remains from B.I.l and SWN 8 were what
was left after the butchering of carcasses,
when the animal was skinned, the non-edible
parts chopped off and the meat dressed. The
presence of such rubbish on palace grounds
should be deemed evidence of a sudden rise
in demand for large quantities of meat (war,
garrisoned troops etc). One should also take
into consideration pauperization of the palace
and its increasingly domestic character.

SPECIES
DETERMINED
FRAGMENTS
%
Cattle Bos primigenius f. taurus
402
73.09
Sheep/goat Ovis ammon f. aries/Capra aegagrus f. hircus
105
19.09
Pig Sus scrofa f. domestica
4
0.72
Camel Camelus dromedarius
23
4.18
Horse/donkey Equuidae
15
2.72
Gazelle Gazella
1
0.18
TOTAL
550
100


Tab. 4- Species participation in the assemblage from SWN. 8, percentage presented in graph form

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