This catalogue constitutes an updating of the bird remains record in archaeological and palaeontological contexts from the Canary Islands. All reported skeletal remains were located in collections of official local institutions and identified taxonomically. This study allowed us to establish the approximate dates and causes of the disappearance of several extinct Canary Islands endemics and to assess the consequences of past hunting activities in the Canary island archipelago. Our analysis suggests that the impact of human activities on wild birds appears to have been far more intense and extensive than hitherto assumed.
We present a detailed biometric and nutrient analysis of a species of fish in New Zealand known as tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus of the Cheilodactylidae family). This fish is primarily caught in deeper waters, and when found in archaeological sites points to offshore fishing. Modern specimens were measured when just caught and bones extracted and measured. Live fish characteristics were reconstructed using power curve fit equations. Bones from four archaeological sites were studied and live length and weight estimated. Size frequency distributions varied from one site to another, suggesting different degrees of access to deeper offshore waters. Modern consumption of the fillet alone represents only 34% of the live weight and has a macronutrient ratio low in fat of 75:24:1. Ethnohistoric evidence favours more intensive consumption of additional body parts in the past, considered unfavourable in modern society, such as the viscera, skin and parts of the head. These contain greater fat reserves than the fillet. A conservative assessment of the amounts of these additional body parts that could be consumed by prehistoric people would provide far greater caloric energy with an MNR (Macronutrient Ratio) closer to 49:50:1. The total meat weight from this species in these four sites was estimated at c. 613 kg, representing a caloric energy of 399 million kcal.
Bulgarian coastal fishery from the Upper Palaeolithic till nowadays reveals remarkable evolution in terms of used fishing gears, utilization areas and targeted species. Greek colonization of the Bulgarian coast began at the end of 7th century BCE. At that time more advanced fishing gear were introduced into the fishing industry in Bulgaria. In the newly formed Slavic-Bulgarian state, both in early and middle Medieval periods, fishing developed under the influence of Byzantium, which continued to develop shipping and trade in the western Black Sea cities near Constantinople, as well as places near to the Danube River and in Crimea at the same time. For almost five centuries (1396 - 1878), Bulgaria became a province of the Ottoman Empire. Different types of rents and confiscations of the fish were introduced. After liberation from Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian fishery lost a large share of its significance for the national economy. Fishing continued to be a backward, non-isolated branch of material production, which did not play a significant role in the country‘s economy. Active Black Sea fishing began with the introduction of trawling into the Black Sea fishery in 1921. In 1948, the fishing cooperatives voluntarily disbanded and became part of the state enterprise, together with their assets and liabilities. Until 1990, government efforts focused mainly on large-scale fisheries. It is only after this date that the number of small-scale fishing vessels increased rapidly, now making up the bulk of the fleet. At present, the Bulgarian fleet operates exclusively in the Black Sea and 95.28 % of the Bulgarian vessels are <12 m in length, and most of the vessels use set gillnets as their preferred gear type.
Fishing is a natural occupation for the inhabitants of any maritime town, and Crimean Cherson is no exception. According to archaeological research, fishing was already highly developed from the very beginnings of the town, established during the Greek colonisation period. In the 2nd century BCE, fish was used to produce garum, a fish sauce. This is documented through the many finds of fish vats, large structures in which garum was made, the production of which continued in Cherson at least until the 11th century CE.This paper focuses on the archaeological features that show evidence for the extensive processing of fish in Cherson. Furthermore, it considers the importance of this “industry” for the economy of Cherson, and the probable consequences, given the stable income, for the development and status of Cherson within the Byzantine Empire.
This paper presents an analysis of the environmental conditions for fishing and fish processing in Tanais, southern Russia, on the broader background of the territories surrounding the Sea of Azov. Although historical sources indicate that fishing played a crucial role in the region’s economy during Hellenistic and Roman times, archaeoichthyological sources show that the amount of fish as well as the species represented archaeologically in the area vary substantially. In the authors’ opinion, ecology is the main factor impacting fishing: interregional differences and changing environmental conditions around the Sea of Azov. The region has been divided into three areas according to current environmental conditions, given the similarity between the present-day climate and that of Hellenistic times. This paper discusses the diachronic changes in catches, availability of fish, the impact of climate and changes in the water basins that affect species composition, focusing especially on the Don delta.
