Combining Morphology and Palaeogenomics to understand the Status and Contribution of Mules to Roman Equine Populations in Austria and Germany.
Veterinary Medical Science
Prehistory and World Archaeology
Final Report Abstract
The aim of this study was to shed light on the cultural history of the mule in the provinces of Raetia, Noricum and Pannonia Superior after their incorporation into the Roman Empire. While for other livestock a continuity of breeding from the Iron Age to the Roman period is obvious, for horse and mule (= donkey jack x horse mare) it had to be left open how the Mediterranean ideas and Roman presence affected the local horse populations. This study therefore aimed to test three hypotheses, namely that (1) the mule represents a cultural marker of Roman influence in the aforementioned provinces, (2) mule breeding was not established north of the Alps, imported animals ensuring the supply of the military, and (3) the continuous demand for horses in the study area was met by crossbreeding exogenous animals with local lineages. To test these hypotheses, a representative equid sample was investigated applying three methods, i.e. "traditional" comparative osteomorphology (sMOR), Geometric Morphometrics (GMM) and ancient DNA (aDNA). With this approach, it would also be possible to compare the accuracy of the three methods. Our study analyzed 547 mandibular teeth and long bones excavated in the Celtic oppidum of Manching and in seven sites located along the Limes, namely Biriciana/Weißenburg, Quintana/Künzing, Abusina/Eining, Augustianis/Traismauer, Favianis/Mautern, Carnuntum/Petronell and Vindobona/Vienna. Comparative osteomorphology, GMM and aDNA unanimously confirmed that mules played an important role in the Roman military and economy, as one in six equids was a mule. Neither morphologically nor with the help of aDNA analyses could we detect mules in the Celtic population, which strongly supports our first hypothesis that the mule can be considered a cultural marker of the Roman period. Deviating from this, GMM analyses indicated the presence of hybrids in pre-Roman times, but the modern references used for this method proved to be insufficient, as slender small horses reported from the Iron Age and Classical Antiquity are missing in the reference panel. The donkey jacks needed for mule breeding could be proven twice, whereby the find from Raetia later turned out to be medieval applying C14-dating. Evidence for donkeys is therefore still lacking for Raetia and Noricum, a connection with the colder climate north of the Alps seems obvious. The second hypothesis, that mules are to be interpreted as imports, also gains in probability: on the one hand, the hybrids in the research material are male without exception, on the other hand, aDNA analyses prove matrilineages that do not match those encountered in the local Roman horse population. Ancient DNA analyses also showed that Roman horse populations were not exclusively the result of imports, but that part of the Roman horse population was due to crossbreeding with native animals, as postulated in the third hypothesis. It should also be emphasised that almost exclusively stallions and geldings were used in Roman military service and that horse breeders preferred to select plain-coloured animals. These two observations are consistent with statements in classical literature.
Publications
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Modern Approach to Understand the Contribution of Mules to Roman Equine Populations in Austria and Germany. EvolVienna Meeting, October 2020.
Sharif M.B.; Mohaseb A.F.; Zimmermann M.I. & et al.
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Equids in the Roman Empire North of the Alps: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Virtual Conference Ancient Biomolecules of Plants, Animals, and Microbes. Wellcome Genome Campus UK, 29.03-31.03.2021
Sharif M.B.; Mohaseb A.F.; Zimmermann M.I. & et al.
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Ancient DNA refines taxonomic classification of Roman equids north of the Alps, elaborated with osteomorphology and geometric morphometrics. Journal of Archaeological Science, 143, 105624.
Sharif, Muhammad Bilal; Mohaseb, Azadeh Fatemeh; Zimmermann, Michaela Isabell; Trixl, Simon; Saliari, Konstantina; Kunst, Günther Karl; Cucchi, Thomas; Czeika, Sigrid; Mashkour, Marjan; Orlando, Ludovic; Schaefer, Katrin; Peters, Joris & Mohandesan, Elmira
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Disentangling the shape of Eurasian Equid cheek teeth and metapodials in archaeological material. 5th Int. Conf. Archaeozoology of Southwest Asia (ASWA-ICAZ), Tokyo, 27.11.- 02.12.2022
Mohaseb A.F.; Cornette R.; Zimmermann M.I.; Davoudi H.; Berthon R.; Guintard C.; Cucchi T.; Hanot P.; Mohandesan E.; Eisenmann V.; Peters J. & Mashkour M.
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Equids in the Roman Empire North of the Alps: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Scientific Advisory Board Meeting, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, April 2022.
Sharif M.B.; Mohaseb A. F.; Zimmermann M.I. & et al.
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Predictive use of modern reference osteological collections for disentangling the shape of Eurasian equid cheek teeth and metapodials in archaeological material. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 33(5), 938-954.
Mohaseb, Azadeh F.; Cornette, Raphaël; Zimmermann, Michaela I.; Davoudi, Hossein; Berthon, Rémi; Guintard, Claude; Cucchi, Thomas; Hanot, Pauline; Mohandesan, Elmira; Eisenmann, Véra; Peters, Joris & Mashkour, Marjan
