Description
Rome’s success as an ancient superpower depended on the capacity to deploy and maintain large numbers of soldiers in static defensive frontier garrisons. Until recently we had only limited understanding of how the logistical challenges of supplying these frontiers were met. Employing a groundbreaking multi-isotope analysis on the largest faunal dataset of its kind, this book focuses on the production and supply of cattle, sheep/goats and pigs in Roman Britain’s frontier regions.
The results reveal complex systems of long-distance and maritime supply, significant cross-border movement of livestock beyond the northern frontiers and changing patterns of animal management. By integrating archaeological, historical, and scientific evidence, the book offers a major new perspective on the logistics of empire and the functioning of Roman frontier zones.
