I remember home economics in the early 1960s recommending one quarter of a
pound of meat per person per day. This is hugely culturally-loaded.
Perceptions of suitable portions vary tremendously. As jacqui said: how big
a portion/person are you catering for? And who is eligible to eat meat?
Also, of course, what counts as meat? There are lots of lights and other
innards that might or might not be included. But, if you have figures for
live/dead/meatweight of a Neolithic sized domestic pig (and there again,
you need to take into account the age of the pig. Many would be slaughtered
at a juvenile or adolescent age not at full mature adult weight) then you
just might get at a sort of order of magnitude, providing you are prepared
to accept that there are likely to be huge, cumulative errors and that the
likely/possible range is going to be at least plus or minus several times
what you suggest.....
Sue
--On 07 April 2005 10:37 +0100 Jacqui Mulville <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> A student request - Please reply to the list and I shall forward replies.
> I have pointed him to our archives and the discussions therein, but if
> anyone has any new information to add?
>
> Of course, how many an animal feeds depends on how much meat you are
> expecting people to conusme and how many of the people are full grown
> chaps, lasses or kids.
>
> Ethnography of madagascan feasting anyone? I must email Parker Pearson.
>
> jacqui
>
>>>> "Oliver Harris" <[log in to unmask]> 04/06/05 4:29 pm >>>
> Dear Jacqui,
>
> I don't suppose you know how many people a Neolithic pig could feed
> at a single meal do you? Or a cow for that matter? Or perhaps where I
> might be able to look it up?
>
> Cheers (and thanks in advance)
>
> Ollie
> --
> Oliver Harris
> School of History and Archaeology
> Cardiff University
> PO Box 909
> Cardiff CF10 3XU
> Wales
> http://www.cf.ac.uk/hisar/archaeology/postgrads/oh/
>
Dr. Sue Stallibrass
English Heritage Archaeological Science Adviser for North-West England
Department of Archaeology
Hartley Building
University of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL L69 3GS
direct telephone: +44 (0)151 794 5046
departmental FAX: +44 (0)151 794
5057
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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