Wildlife as Landscape Proxy for Early Byzantine Caričin Grad (Justiniana Prima)

Abstract

Animal remains are essential evidence of a historical ecology that has emerged as a powerful perspective for understanding and reconstructing the landscapes of the past. Zooarchaeological research can provide a significant contribution to issues beyond the animal related economies in the Early Byzantine period, such as the environmental conditions and landscape usage. The Early Byzantine site of Caričin Grad is situated 30 km southwest of Leskovac, in southern Serbia. Excavations at the site have revealed the remains of an important Early Byzantine city, which has been identified as Justiniana Prima, founded in the 530s by Justinian I. In this paper, results of the analysis of wild mammal and bird remains from Caričin Grad are considered as proxies for the reconstruction of the Early Byzantine city- and landscape. Also, this micro-ecological study provides research questions about broader contexts of humananimal interactions in the northern parts of the Early Byzantine Empire.