The Danube and Balkan Provinces

There are not many bone assemblages from this large region (Fig. 11 ), so it is only possible to draw a few tentative conclusions about the nature of the meat diet. Beef was the most common element, with most of the sites having 60% or more cattle bones. No sites had high percentages of pig and only one; a military establ ishment at Porolissum (Livovschi-Chelesanu & Gudea 1996) had significant numbers of sheep and goat bones.

The pattern during the Roman period shows continuity from the Iron Age in being generally cattle dominated. The same holds true for the post-Roman per iod, although there are hints that there was an increase in pork consumption by the early middle ages (Appendix, Table G; Bökönyi 1974). The diet is consistent with that in Germany, Raetia and Noricum, but, in the Roman period at least, with less dependence on pork.

• Back to Germany, Raetia and Noricum
• Forward to Military diet in the north-west provinces
• Back to Diet article headings
• Bibliography