Meli
I would second the comment on checking the zooarchaeology listserve.
But, I can tell you that chicken does occur in faunal assemblages in the 19th century. From two separate excavations in Covington, Kentucky (across from Cincinnati), chickens were well represented. From a large scale project of privy remains dating from the mid-1840s through ca. 1900, 22% of the bones (n=6459) were avian, and of that subset more than 40% were chicken. At another smaller study of a single privy dating to the Civil War (and slightly before), domestic chicken bones were the most frequently identified elements in the entire bone assemblage. They accounted for 14.1% of a modest assemblage of 424 bones.
Whether these chickens were being purchased or were simply household domesticates is not well understood, however ther is evidence to suggest that they are more likely purchases. First, there were few medullary bones recovered. Egg-laying hens should have these bones, and relatively few (less than 1% of chicken elements) were found. Second, there were also relatively few cranial elements, suggesting that the animals were butchered elsewhere.
Bob Genheimer
George Rieveschl Curator of Archaeology
Cincinnati Museum Center
1301 Western Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45203
513-455-7161
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Meli
Diamanti
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 4:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: poultry consumption
I'm looking for information on poultry consumption, or the chicken
equivalent of "where's the beef?"
I've seen comparisons of beef/motton/pork consumption between households
or sites in historic faunal analyses, but where is the discussion of
chicken? Was chicken not commonly consumed historically? I read that
it really increased in relation to the shortages of meat during World
War II (Wikipedia got this from a History Channel web page), but where
can I find information on consumption before World War I?
I'm working on analyzing domestic sites from the Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania area c. 1900-1920's. there is a wonderfully detailed study
of butcher shops and meat consumption patterns in various Pittsburgh
neighborhoods from 1932 (John Cover), but it does not include chicken or
other poultry. Was poultry sold by separate shops? Was it sold along
with farm produce from hucksters' wagons? Or what?
We are finding some poultry bones in the faunal sample, but very
little. So I'm wondering whether that was common for the time & place -
to be eating so little chicken as opposed to beef/mutton/pork, or is it
a reflection of status. None of these are wealthy hosueholds. But they
are households of several different ethnic groups, so I thought the lack
of chicken would not be common among them if it was a matter of ethnic
food preferences.
I see that poultry was first listed in the Federal Agricultural Census
of 1880, and that poultry raising was not really successful as a
business until c. 1900, but that is the period I'm looking at, so i
would expect to see it. Was chicken more expensive or scarce, or a
specialty item like fish? (Fish seems to be missing from my samples,
even from a convent of parochial school teachers).
I would appreciate any leads on this subject, either information on
general historic trends in dietary change, or informaiton from specific
sites or other sources. If you want to reply off list, I can be reached
at [log in to unmask]
Meli Diamanti
Archaeological & Historical Consultants, Inc.
Now Showing...The Alps, playing at the NEW Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX Theater. Experience an avalanche, a thrilling climb and an inspirational journey. Voyage along John Harlin III’s incredibly difficult climb up the Eiger North Face in the Swiss Alps. Follow on his expedition as he strives to conquer and summit the same peak that killed his father 1966. Witness unimaginable magnificence on this dangerous journey of man versus mountain.
NOW SHOWING...WORLD PREMIER FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.
REAL PIRATES: The Untold Story of the Whydah From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship. See a vast array of real pirate treasure and pirate ship artifacts. Opens June 30, 2007.
|