Albarella, U. orcid.org/0000-0001-5092-0532 and Aniceti, V. orcid.org/0000-0001-9925-1931 (2024) ‘Unmaking’ the deer in medieval Europe: historical and archaeological evidence. European Journal of Archaeology, 27 (3). pp. 353-371. ISSN 1461-9571
Abstract
Deer hunting was heavily ritualized in medieval Europe, as indicated by historical and archaeological evidence; it also emphasized social differentiation. The butchery of a deer carcass (‘unmaking’) was integral to the ritual and led to different body parts being destined for individuals of differing status. Archaeologically, the practice is particularly visible in high-status sites in Britain, but documentary and archaeological sources are consistent in pinpointing its earliest occurrence in twelfth-century France. In Italy, late medieval evidence for such ‘unmaking’ is present but is not supported by any known historical sources. Red and fallow deer were butchered in a formalized manner, whereas the data for roe deer are unclear. Although the Normans contributed to the diffusion of the ‘unmaking’ practice, in France it is also found outside the core area of Norman influence. The extensive spread of the practice demonstrates the connectedness of the medieval hunting culture in Europe.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Association of Archaeologists (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | hunting; deer; Middle Ages; Europe; Normans; butchery; chasse; cervidés; Moyen Age; Normands; dépeçage; Jagd; Hirsch; Mittelalter; Europa; Normannen; Zerlegen |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 04 Feb 2025 09:06 |
Last Modified: | 04 Feb 2025 09:06 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/eaa.2024.11 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222467 |
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