Birds in Roman Life and Myth (Global Perspectives on Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology)

This book explores the place of birds in Roman myth and everyday life, focusing primarily on the transitional period of 100 BCE to 100 CE within the Italian peninsula. A diverse range of topics is considered in order to build a broad overview of the subject.Beginning with an appraisal of omens, augury, and auspices - including the ‘sacred chickens’ consulted by generals before battle - it goes on to examine how Romans farmed birds, hunted them, and kept them as pets.It demonstrates how the ownership and consumption of birds were used to communicate status and prestige, and how bird consumption mirrored wider economic and social trends.Each topic adopts an interdisciplinary approach, considering literary evidence alongside art, material culture, zooarchaeology, and modern ornithological knowledge.The inclusion of zooarchaeology adds another dimension to the work and highlights the value of using animals and faunal remains to interpret the past. Studying the Roman view of birds offers gr