Die Tierwelt der Römerzeit in Wattens

The study presents the results of the analysis of the faunal remains from Wattens in the area of the Swarovski / Kristallwelten museum (Innsbruck) dated to the roman age. The faunal assemblage consists of 3,192 finds, of which 597 determined. The composition of the fauna essentially includes domestic animals, such as the cattle, the horse, the pig, the caprines (sheep and goat), the dog and the chicken. The remains of wild animals are a very minimal quota and are interpreted as sporadic or fortuitous presences in the site (micro-mammals, including mole, besides beaver and wild boar). 64 remains of undefined birds are added. The comparison with a fairly large portion of the skull of a bovine with whole skulls of the Austrian group "Blondvieh" suggests the belonging of the skull to this bovine race. The Wattens cattle, like the sheep, belongs to the large Roman forms, the pig and the horse are of medium height. The economy of the site seems comparable to that of the rustic villa of Nickelsdorf, where part of horses, mules, dogs and cattle was bred to be sold in the large cities of the limes for transport or the army.