On the hoof: exploring the supply of animals to the Roman legionary fortress at Caerleon using strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope analysis

Abstract

Provisioning large concentrations of professional soldiers in Britain after the invasion in AD 43 was a major challenge for the Roman imperial administration. In a distant frontier province such as Britannia, it is generally believed that locally produced agricultural resources must have been vital in feeding and maintaining the occupying army, but direct evidence for this is limited. This study explores the potential for strontium isotope analysis ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of faunal dental enamel to provide new insights for the provisioning of animals to the legionary fortress at Caerleon in South East Wales. Results from 37 domestic animals (cattle, caprines and pigs) from the recent excavation of a military store building in Caerleon are presented. Thirteen faunal dentine and modern plant samples were also analysed to characterise baseline signals for the local landscape. These results indicated an unexpectedly wide range of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in the local area, meaning identifying allochthonous individuals with confidence is difficult. The faunal dataset is also very wide ranging, but at least seven individuals can be identified as originating from beyond the local region, with some likely being brought from a substantial distance away. It is highly likely, however, that this underestimates the proportion of animals reared outside the fortress' immediate hinterland and individuals that fall within the diverse local range could also have been from further afield. This has implications for understanding how the Roman legion was sustained, as well as the impact that provisioning the army had on the countryside, particularly around military sites.

Feasting and Mobility in Iron Age Ireland: Multi-isotope analysis reveals the vast catchment of Navan Fort, Ulster

“…This is not to say that the previously published map does not provide valid results, as it provides an important initial characterisation of Northern Ireland. Interpolations from comparable lithologies are necessary in mapping large areas such as this and these new data suggest that biosphere variation is likely to be more complex at a local scale, a feature that is becoming more commonly recognised in strontium isotope studies 21 . The published map may provide an indication of potential biosphere values in the broader region, but as only a single location was sampled in the vicinity of Navan Fort, further mapping is required.

Figure 5Map showing the location of the extracted plant samples (map created by Kirsty Harding following information from GSNI).

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Resilience and livestock adaptations to demographic growth and technological change: A diachronic perspective from the Late Bronze Age to Late Antiquity in NE Iberia

“…[ 17 ]). Strontium isotopic results on livestock suggest this also included animals [ 52 , 230 , 231 ].…”

Multi-isotope analysis reveals that feasts in the Stonehenge environs and across Wessex drew people and animals from throughout Britain

“…The Durrington Walls pigs in this study have a larger range than all comparative sites. The next widest range comes from a sample of 37 cattle, caprines, and pigs from the Roman legionary fortress at Caerleon, South Wales ( 21 ). A large range might be predicted from fauna at Caerleon, as it is situated in an area of diverse geology and the legion might be expected to procure animals from further afield.…”