Applying contemporary analogy to the understanding of animal processing behaviour on Roman villa sites (Vol 1, 2 and 3)

Abstract

The thesis has two interrelated objectives: Firstly, to investigate the proposition that certain aspects of human behaviour are basically uniform, and subject to principles which remain constant throughout time, and secondly to develop the intellectual devices and controls necessary for the assignment of meaning to the archaeological record, or, more specifically, to assemblages of animal bones. In order to address these two priorities, the thesis will focus on a specific domain of behaviour, namely animal slaughter, dressing and butchery behaviour, which is organised around an unchanging physical and biological entity (the animal carcass). In order to examine the proposition that human behaviour is subject to Uniformitarian principles, the strategy of the thesis will be firstly, in VOLUME I, to develop broad arguments from the realm of modern experience, or, more specifically, modern slaughter and dressing (Volume I, Chapters 4 and 5), and modern butchery (Volume I, Chapters 6 and 7), and secondly, in Volume II, to apply these arguments to three substantial faunal assemblages from Roman villas, namely Halstock, (Volume II, Chapter 1), Rock, (Volume II, Chapter 2) and Atworth (Volume II, Chapter 3), and several smaller assemblages from other villas (Volume II, Chapter 4). Performing the above exercise should promote the accomplishment of both of the tactical objectives of the thesis, that is, to validate the proposition that human slaughter, dressing and butchery behaviour has a uniformitarian basis, and thereby to provide insights into past animal processing behaviour by establishing a secure basis for interpreting the information content of the faunal record. (D72096/87)

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