This volume includes a number of papers that were originally presented
at the conference Roman Animals in Ritual and Funerary Contexts, which
was held in Basel(Switzerland) from 1st-4th February 2018. The
conference represented the second meeting of the International Council
for Archaeozoology (ICAZ) Working Group on the Zooarchaeology of the
Roman Period. The articles present ritually deposited animal remains
across a wide geographical range and incorporate both archaeological and
zoological findings. The integration of these two strands of evidence is
also one of the central concerns of the ICAZ Working Group, as in the
past they have often been dealt with separately. However, it is
precisely this interdisciplinary cooperation that opens up new
perspectives on ritual practices in a wide variety of contexts. In this
volume we see the enhancement of our understanding of ritual treatment
of animals in central sanctuaries, in rural areas, at natural sites, and
as part of building construction processes. The case studies presented
in this volume demonstrate how animal remains such as bones and
eggshells provide information beyond diet, economy, and differences in
social hierarchy. Their interdisciplinary investigation additionally
enables insights into practices governed by cultural, religious, and
ideological conditions.
