Integrating Terrestrial and Aquatic Archaeozoological Studies: Venice and the northern Adriatic lagoons between Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

The InTer AquAS project aims to investigate human-animal-environment relationships at the Roman-early medieval transition along the north-western Adriatic coast; by highlighting elements of continuity and discontinuity, the project aims to contribute precious knowledge to the archaeology and history of this transitional period.

The project will analyse archaeozoological assemblages from three study-regions: the Venetian Lagoon, the Marano-Grado Lagoon, and the coast of Romagna; these regions are characterised by the presence of wetlands, with lagoons, rivers and canals influencing the nature of human settlement and activities.

The archaeology of the Late Antiquity and Middle Ages in the north-western Adriatic represents a very active field of research; current archaeozoological analyses, however, are site-specific, while large-scale reviews touch these regions only lightly and marginally, without focussing on their peculiar environmental contexts.

The chronological and spatial comparisons proposed by the InTer AquAS project, the combination of terrestrial and aquatic faunal studies, and the functional implementation of biometrical and stable isotope analyses, will provide a holistic approach taking into account the complex, changing relationships between humans, other animals, and the environment.

My experience in archaeozoology, and in particular my familiarity with biometry and the Roman-early medieval transition in Europe, make me the ideal candidate to conduct a project such as InTer AquAS.

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice is a leader in the study of the Late Antiquity and Middle Ages in Italy, and the project will ultimately fill the existing gap in large-scale and methodologically targeted faunal analyses.

In addition to informing on key aspects of past economies and environments, this study will boost my knowledge on the archaeology and history of the periods considered, and substantially advance methodological skills required to optimise my career prospects.