Fish consumption at the ancient market of Monterrey (18th-19th centuries), México, based on archaeological remains

During renovation works in 2008 at the Metropolitan Museum of Monterrey, faunal remains from the ancient market of Monterrey city, including fish, were collected. Little is known on the consumption of fishes in northeastern México during former times thus this material offered an opportunity to explore the issue. A total of 1,204 fish remains were studied, of which 27% were identifiable. These represent eight taxa of freshwater (i.e. catfishes and mojarras) and marine/estuarine fishes including the snook, crevalle jack, snapper, and red drum. Marine taxa, in particular red drum (Sciaenops ocellata: 65% of the identifiable remains and 35 % of the individuals) dominated the sample and fully one third of the specimens and taxa were freshwater catfishes. Monterrey City is located in the Rio Grande basin and lies 300 km away from the Gulf of Mexico. For such reason, the presence of these two fish groups revealed the coexistence of semi-local (fluvial) and long-distance (coastal) trade. The representation of body-fish parts suggests that freshwater fishes were transported whole and it is possible that the same applied in the case of those of marine origin

Archaeology · Art · Biology · Fauna · Fish · Fishery · Geography · Humanities · Latin American history and culture · Ecology

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