Dinamiche socio-economiche nel Salento in età medievale: dati preliminari dal Castello svevo-angioino di Carlo V, Lecce

The paper aims to present the results from a study of the animal remains from the Castle of Charles V located in Lecce, referring to the Svevo-Angioino period. The sample was collected in the courtyard and is dated from the 13th to the 15th centuries AD. The faunal assemblage is large, composed primarily of the main domestic species used for food purposes. Caprines and pigs are dominant. Cattle and domestic fowl are of secondary importance. Furthermore, horses, cats and dogs were also found. Data also shows that wild species meat, in particular boar meat and venison, played an important role in the diet of inhabitants. Of particular interest is the discovery of a distal tibia of a fallow deer from the 13th/14th century levels. Moreover, the sample includes tortoise and a large variety of marine mollusc remains, including oysters, which testify the high quality of diet enjoyed by the habitants of castle.