The Roman introduction and exportation of animals into Tunisia: Linking archaeozoology with textual and iconographic evidence

Abstract

The Mediterranean basin was the core of the Roman Empire. Large communication networks were constructed and maintained that enabled the trade and distribution of large number of products between distant territories. North Africa, and more specifically Tunisia, was an important trading area. However, little information is available about the animal trade. To characterize this activity and evaluate its economic importance, in this study we examine which species were introduced and exported during the Roman era in Tunisia using archaeozoological data and contextualizing them with written and iconographic sources. This combined approach shows that the Romans were responsible for introducing and exporting numerous animals. We have documented the introduction of commensal animals, such as black rat (Rattus rattus) and house mouse (Mus sp.), wild animals such as fallow deer (Dama dama) and hare (Lepus sp.), and domestic animals such as rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and cat (Felis catus). At the same time, North Africa supplied Rome with wild beasts such as lions, tigers, bears and camels. We suggest that the animal trade was an important economic activity for Tunisia not only for the export of wild animals but also for the import of animals that were mainly used for social purposes.

The 10,000-year biocultural history of fallow deer and its implications for conservation policy

“…For instance, it is possible they arrived via north Africa where there are iconographic representations of fallow deer. Recently, zooarchaeological evidence for fallow deer has been discovered in Roman North Africa, but their remains are scarce and have not yet been subject to dating or biomolecular analysis which means their species assignment is unconfirmed ( 63 , 64 ).…”