Dear Jacqui,
My impression is that bleeding cattle for food would have been quite common in
early cattle husbandry. As you say, it is described by Lucas for Ireland:
(Lucas, A. T. (1958). “Cattle in ancient and Medieval Irish society.” Dublin:
O'Connell School Union Record 1937-1958.
Lucas, A. T. (1960). “Irish food before the potato.” Gwerin 3: 8-43.
Lucas, A. T. (1989). Cattle in Ancient Ireland. Kilkenny, Boethius Press.
There are also a few references to the bleeding of cattle in Scotland. I seem
to remember that Fenton mentions it for Orkney. It is also mentioned in a few
of the parish descriptions for the Hebrides in the Statistical Accounts ('Old'
and 'New') for Scotland in the 18th / early 19th century.
Your student could also look at
Dahl, G. and A. Hjort (1976). Having Herds: Pastoral Herd Growth and Household
Economy. Stockholm, Department of Social Anthropology. (re Africa).
An interesting - and overlooked - subject
Dale
Dale Serjeantson
Visiting Research Fellow
School of Humanities (Archaeology)
University of Southampton
Southampton SO17 1BJ
Email: [log in to unmask]
Quoting Jacqui Mulville <[log in to unmask]>:
> Dear Zooarchers,
>
> One of my students in interested in the use of blood from live animals
> as food
> - apart from the Maasi does anyone know of other instances of blood
> letting on a
> regular basis from live stock. I am sure there is something in Lucas
> about the
> Irish taking blood from their cattle. However does anyone know of how
> prevelant
> this practise ever was? Any other mentions in historic texts?
>
> Hope you all had a good summer.
>
> jacqui
>
> Jacqui Mulville
> Lecturer in Bioarchaeology
> School of History and Archaeology
> Cardiff University
> Cardiff
> CF10 3XU
>
> 02920 874247
>
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