Zooarchaeology of Ancient Greek Sanctuaries in Southwestern Sicily

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgements

A Sicilian Prelude: Introducing Ancient Greek Sacrificial Practice

Animals, rituals, and society: integrating zooarchaeology into the study of ancient Greek sanctuaries

Short History of the Greeks of Sicily

Animal sacrifice in ancient Greek religion

Zooarchaeology in classical archaeology in Sicily: An unsolved (never faced) debate

Methodology

Sampling strategies and recording protocol

Taxonomic identification

Faunal assemblage quantification

Body parts quantification

Ageing and sexing animals

Biometry

Beyond the zoo: Interpreting the taphonomy of a faunal assemblage

The Urban Sanctuary of Selinus

A brief history of Selinus and its sacred topography

The faunal assemblage

Animal processing and consumption

The Peri-Urban Sanctuary of Malophoros

The Gaggera Sanctuaries

The faunal assemblage

Animal processing and consumption

The Peri-Urban Sanctuary of S. Anna

A brief note on Akragas history and sacred topography between 6th and 4th c. BCE.

The faunal assemblage

Animal processing and consumption

Discussion on Rituals and Remains

Human/animal interactions in the ritual trajectories of the three investigated sanctuaries

Broadening the point of view. A Mediterranean perspective

Leaving Old MacDonald farm – The ritual role of other species.

Beyond the Sacred

Concluding Insights

Bibliography

Link to Online Appendices

About the Author

Roberto Miccichè, PhD in Classical Archaeology, is an osteoarchaeologist with over twenty years of professional field experience. He has been actively engaged in numerous archaeological projects across Sicily, collaborating with esteemed institutions such as the University of Augsburg and the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut in Rome. His expertise encompasses the analysis of both animal and human remains, integrating traditional archaeological approaches with advanced scientific techniques to explore the complex dynamics of past societies. Currently, he serves as a lecturer at the University of Palermo, where he directs the Laboratory of Archaeozoology, fostering interdisciplinary research and mentoring students in zooarchaeology and bioarchaeology. He is also a member of the executive board of the Italian Association of Archaeozoology (AIAZ). His work continues to contribute significantly to the understanding of human-animal relationships in the ancient Mediterranean, highlighting their economic, cultural, and symbolic dimensions.