What ever happened to letting cultures have preferences NOT related to cost
effective economic arguments?  Anglo (English and American) culture still
has a preference for beef--just consider the current issues of British beef
and 'mad cow disease' or the common name for members of the British military
(beef-eaters).  Just because pork has been the 'dominant' meat in the south
from the 19th century to the present does not mean it always had to be that
way. It seems to me that trying to rationalize the archaeological evidence
(suggesting beef was preferred) because that isn't the way it is today is a
bit odd.  Especially, when you look at the broader cultural contexts.
Just putting my two cents in,
Mary Ellin D'Agostino
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