Animals in ritual and domestic context: A comparative study between the faunal assemblages from residential areas and two sanctuaries at the vicus of Kempraten (Rapperswil-Jona, CH)

In this study, archaeozoological remains (hand-retrieved and retrieved from soil samples) from residential areas and from two different sanctuaries from the vicus Kempraten have been analysed and compared. The archaeozoological assemblage consists of 15 886 animal remains identified to animal group and/or species and were recovered from a number of different features which partially overlap chronologically. We discuss commonalities and discrepancies as well as possible reasons behind the selection of certain animal species for domestic and/or ritual purposes. We found remarkable differences amongst the naturally occurring small animal remains, the fowl and the fish. A large variety of natural intruders (wild small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, gastropods) in the gallo-roman sanctuary let us assume that phases of intensive human activity alternated with phases during which the site lay idle. The cultic act in both sanctuaries mainly involved offerings of poultry. The selection of the sacrificial fowl appears to be rather cultically and not economically motivated. The same can be said for the fish finds, especially for young pike from the gallo-roman sanctuary, because in residential areas of the vicus fowl and pike were far less abundant than in the sanctuaries. Comparing the proportions of the large domestic and large wild animal bones from the gallo-roman sanctuary with those from the domestic areas of the vicus, we can find a large similarity. Therefore, we assume that animals like cattle or pig played an important role in the everyday diet as well as in the cultic rituals of the inhabitants of Kempraten.