Geoarqueología y paleobiología de Balsaconcheros y explotación de recursos marinos en Ia Lusitania meridional romana

  1. Alejandro Candón 1
  2. Gabriel Gómez 1
  3. Francisco Ruiz 1
  4. Joaquín Rodríguez Vidal 1
  5. João Pedro Bernardes 2
  6. Celso Candeias 3
  7. Maria João Valente 2
  8. Eufrasia Roselló Izquierdo 4
  9. José María Cañas 4
  10. Arturo Morales 4
  11. Luis Miguel Cáceres 1
  12. Paula Gómez 1
  13. Fernando Muñiz 5
  1. 1 Universidad de Huelva
    info

    Universidad de Huelva

    Huelva, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03a1kt624

  2. 2 Universidade do Algarve
    info

    Universidade do Algarve

    Faro, Portugal

    ROR https://ror.org/014g34x36

  3. 3 Museu Municipal de Tavira
  4. 4 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01cby8j38

  5. 5 Universidad de Sevilla
    info

    Universidad de Sevilla

    Sevilla, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03yxnpp24

Book:
Del Atlántico al Tirreno: puertos hispanos e itálicos
  1. Campos Carrasco, Juan M. (coord.)
  2. Bermejo Meléndez, Javier (coord.)

Publisher: L'Erma di Bretschneider

ISBN: 978-88-913-2130-5

Year of publication: 2021

Pages: 375-403

Type: Book chapter

Abstract

The analysis of the Algarve Roman shell middens (1-500 CE) allows an approximation to the biodiversity and its paleogeographic variations in the southern sector of Portugal during this period. The exploitation offish resources is manifested in numerous factories dedicated to the production of salted fish and fish sauces, in which the commercialization ofmolluscs played a secondary role. In this period, the arrangement ofthe shell middens points to a seasonal extraction ofthe most abundant species from two main types of coast: a) cliff and rocky areas, from which mussels, ostreids, patelids and barnacle crustaceans would be extracted; and b) estuaries and beaches, with an important collection mainly of bivalves (especially Cerastoderma edule and Ruditapes decussatus). These shells come from the direct consumption of these organisms or from their use for the production of sauces. The valves of these species, as well as numerous fish vertebrae (sardines, anchovies), are common in the archaeological excavations ofthe Roman city ofBalsa. The presence ofjuvenile fish specimens points to their posible use in the preparation of sauces.