Banyoles is set to host the 13th edition of Fundus, a conference series on Roman-era rural life, on 18 and 19 June. The event, held at the Darder Museum, will focus on livestock farming and include approximately 15 lectures.
Organised by the Comarcal Archaeological Museum of Banyoles (MACB) and the University of Girona, these conferences aim to create a forum for sharing and discussing the latest archaeological findings in livestock farming. They will also connect these discoveries with classical perspectives.
Over the two days, discussions will cover aspects such as breeding, transhumance, feeding, care, commercialisation, and the economic uses of animals. The focus will be on large and medium-sized groups, but smaller domestic or farmyard animals will also be included.
New Insights into Ancient Animal Husbandry
Joan Frigola, one of the two directors of Fundus, highlighted the limited archaeological knowledge regarding Roman livestock farming. He stated, "around livestock farming, it must be said that, contrary to what one might think, we do not know much at an archaeological level. In fact, most of the information we have about ancient livestock farming still comes from ancient Latin agronomists."
This year's edition will feature researchers from Catalonia, France, and Italy. Studies from Vilauba will be presented, alongside investigations from sites in Egypt and Greece.
These annual conferences continue to bring together experts to advance understanding of historical agricultural practices. The findings shared will help to fill gaps in current knowledge about how ancient societies managed their animal resources.
