Animal consumption and herding practices during the early Middle Ages across the modern city of Huy (Belgium)

Since the 1990s, the modern town of Huy, located at the borders of the river Meuse (Liege province, Belgium), has undergone several preventive archaeological excavations in the context of urban development. Each of these excavations brought to light numerous traces of human activity, mainly from the mediaeval period. A publication project aims to bring together the numerous data collected over the last 30 years through this substantial fieldwork, which leads to close cooperation of many specialised disciplines, including archaeozoology. A major effort invested in the study of the ceramics made it possible to provide a fine chronological phasing allowing a more in-depth diachronic analysis. The rich archaeological material uncovered includes more than 50,000 animal remains, both collected by hand and by sieving. Although the fauna[ material collected ranges chronologically from the late Roman period to the early modern period, we will focus mainly on remains attributed to the Early and High Middle Ages, periods that are well represented. The sites analysed are scattered on both banks of the river, some of them are present close to the primitive core of the town, while others represent peripheral craft areas. The study of these different settlements makes it possible to illustrate the food practices and meat supply strategies since the redeployment of the core of human occupation in the early mediaeval period.

Abstract of an Oral Presentation or a Poster