Animal Remains from Aeminium (Coimbra, Portugal): A Diachronic view from the Roman to the Modern Period

In this paper we present a small assemblage recovered in the older part of the city of Coimbra (Portugal), under the National Museum Machado de Castro, where human occupation was identified since the Iron Age. Animal remains were present from the Roman until the modern period. The study of discarded food refuse over time provides a perspective into the evolution of local animal use and management. Sheep and goat were the most exploited species throughout; cattle, the second most represented group, gain increasing importance in later periods, especially the modern one. Malacological finds indicate mainly the presence of estuarine species, suggesting the consistent use of this nearby ecotone in the various periods of occupation. Birds were also part of the assemblage, including galliformes, anatids and a few wild species. Some samples from later modern contexts seem to show the exploitation of marine resources, although most of the remains come from mammals. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of medieval faunal remains reveal dietary variability among domestic species, reflecting diverse animal management practices, especially for chickens. Overall, this work contributes novel insights into diet and human-animal relationships in Coimbra down the centuries.