| Abstract: |
Sheep, and to a lesser extent goat, pastoralism was a central component of the economy of medieval Sicily. Unlike the Byzantine period (6th- early 9thc. AD), when sheep/goat were mainly raised for their wool, husbandry strategies were much more generalised during the Arab occupation (9th-11thc. AD). In this latter period, caprines were equally exploited for meat, dairy products and wool. Biometrical analyses indicate an increase in sheep size in the Arab period, which is probably a consequence of an interest in maximising outputs. This phenomenon can be interpreted as a component of the broader changes associated with the so-called Arab Agricultural Revolution. In the Norman/Aragonese period (11th- late 13thc. AD), a further improvement in sheep size indicates a continuity of the animal husbandry strategies initiated by the Arabs. In this period, sheep/goat culling profiles suggest the existence of a more specialised economy focused on meat and, to a lesser extent, wool production. |
