CERCETĂRI ARHEOZOOLOGICE ÎN AȘEZAREA ROMANĂ DE LA APULUM – COLONIA AURELIA APULENSIS
ARCHAEOZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE ROMAN SETTLEMENT FROM APULUM – COLONIA AURELIA APULENSIS

Summary/Abstract: Following the archaeological research carried out in the Partoș district, 28J Dacilor st, from the city of Alba Iulia (Colonia Aurelia Apulensis) in 2016, eight archaeological features were identified, with three levels of Roman habitation, dating from the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. On this occasion, a large sample of animal remains was collected, including a lot of 805 fragments that are the focus of the current material. Although relatively much digging has been done in the area, given the large amount of animal horns and bones (mainly cattle), it is assumed that there was an abattoir in the vicinity that supplied the Roman colony with meat products. Cattle account for 58.38% of the sample, with domestic pig coming in second at 17.95%, followed by small ruminants (14.99%), horse (3.94%), dog (0.4%), and fowls. The only hunted species is the roe deer, and only one remains.The distribution of animal bones by body region reveals that, in the case of cattle, cephalic elements, particularly horns, account for the majority share (55.07%). The food-valued parts (belts, limbs, and spine) account for only 27.36% of the total, with the distal parts of the limbs accounting for 17.57%. In the case of the pig, the anatomical distribution confirms that larger portions of animal carcasses slaughtered in the area were processed elsewhere (for consumption). In the case of sheep and goats, forelimbs, hindlimbs and girdles (shoulders and thighs) total 39.47%, suggesting that a good portion of the slaughtered animals were delivered/sold, their bones accumulating elsewhere. Additionally, the low percentage of ribs and vertebrae suggests that the animal carcasses were occasionally delivered whole after being cut. Although animals were killed nearby, particularly mature ones, horses did not involve in the diet of the locals. At this point, there are insufficient details to explain the existence of some bones from edible parts. 44.46% of the cattle were slaughtered for meat, with a focus on immature males and a smaller percentage of females following the reduction in economic performance.Cows were exploited for several years as milk providers and for traction at a rate of 55.56%. This fact is supported by the presence of castrates, yoke traces on the horns, and pathological conditions on metapodials. 24% of the pigs were slaughtered under one year, with the majority slaughtered between 1-2.5 years (57.15%). The proportion of animals kept over 3-4 years (as breeding individuals) is 19.05%. In the case of small ruminants, young and sub-adult specimens (62.5%) are exploited for meat, while adult and mature animals (37.5%) are kept for dairy and wool.Cattle appear to have dominated the Roman city's food economy, with pigs, sheep, goats, and birds following closely behind. Game is used primarily for raw materials such as horns, skins, and furs, with a minor contribution to food production. The racial diversity of the local cattle population, the existence of hornless bovines, and the evidence of imported "improved" animal types like sheep, chicken, and cattle are all highlighted in this material. The presence of few cut-marks on the bones confirms the presence of personnel trained in slaughtering and butchering animals, implying the presence of an abattoir in the studied area.

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