Food worthy of kings and saints

Fish consumption in the medieval monastery Studenica (Serbia)

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4716403
AutoresIvana Živaljević (0000-0002-0873-7950, BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, 21000 Novi Sad (Serbia)), Nemanja Marković (0000-0002-5260-4362, Institute of Archaeology Belgrade Kneza Mihaila 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia) [email protected]), Milomir Maksimović (0000-0002-0980-9098, Department of History, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Čika Ljubina 18-20, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia) [email protected])
Ano2019
Volume54
Fascículo1
Páginas179
Data de publicação2019-11-29
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAnthropozoologica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0761-3032 • E-ISSN: 2107-0881
EditoraMuseum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5252/anthropozoologica2019v54a16
OpenAlexW2994450037
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas18

The paper focuses on fish consumption and long-distance fish trade in the medieval monastery Studenica in Serbia, from the perspective of archaeozoology and historical evidence. Medieval written sources on the subject suggest that fish was available primarily to particular social classes – the royalty, nobles and monasteries. Preserved muniments indicate that during the 13th-15th centuries the majority of distinguished monasteries had their own fishing ponds, fishing grounds and their own fishermen. Fish consumption occupied an important role in monastic contexts, both in Christian religious practices (e.g. Lent) and in celebrations commemorating the Virgin Mary and the monastery founder, during which high-quality fish was obtained from greater distances. The ichthyoarchaeological remains discussed in this paper originate from waste deposition areas within and outside of the ramparts of the Studenica Monastery, accumulated during the 14th and the first half of the 15th century. Apart from the remains of the species available more or less locally (Wels catfish [Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758], carp [Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758], pike [Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758]), the faunal assemblage contained the remains of migratory sturgeons (beluga [Huso huso Linnaeus, 1758], Russian sturgeon [Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833], stellate sturgeon [Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771]) most likely transported from the Danube area, about 200 km away as the crow flies. Skeletal element distribution, butchering traces and size estimations (of beluga in particular) indicate that large specimens (c. 2-3.6 m in total length) were brought whole to the monastery, possibly dried or salted. Their occurrence is an additional indicator of long-distance fish trade recorded in muniments, and it offers new insights into economic, social and religious practices in medieval Eastern Orthodox monasteries

Acipenser · Archaeology · Beluga · Biology · Esox · Fish · Fishery · Fishing · Geography · Huso · Pike · Sturgeon · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Marine and environmental studies · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology