Food for the Gods: Animal consumption and ritual activities in the Early Bronze Age Sicily

The aim of this paper is to investigate the faunal assemblages recorded from ritual deposits in Early Bronze Age Sicily. The recent discovering in the Castelluccian sanctuary at Monte Grande, in south-western coast of island, permits to examine a specific aspect of offering practices in ritual contexts. The faunal remains, which include ovicaprines, pigs and cattle are referred predominantly to adult specimens: the sheep/goats are more numerous, followed from pig and cattle. The same trend is attested in the "sanctuary" at La Muculufa, where a place connected to ceremonial purposes has been identified. In both sanctuaries, the percentage of sheep and goats is heavily high: according to mortality patterns, these animal were slaughtered at two or three year old, probably reflecting specific ritual observances and also a small-scale mixed farming, with specialized herding. The faunal material from these places related to ceremonial activities can be considered "consumption offal", and may reflect ritual feasting and meat consumption. A more specific analysis on the selected parts of animal body leads to conclude that some ritual prescriptions played a significant role in defining ritual ceremonies and meat consumption. This evidence also reinforces the interpretation of these open-air sanctuaries as loci of more specialized ritual activities, notably suggested from deposits of terracotta figurines. This evidence can Cécile Michel be compared to the animal offering practice attested in the EBA Southern Italy, where predominance of ovicaprines and selection of species well illustrate an economic model based on meat consumption.