By their rubbish you will recognise them: The zooarchaeological identification of a dhimmi christian community in late andalusi Qurṭuba (Cercadilla, 12th century)

Abstract

This article presents the results of the zooarchaeological analysis of the faunal material recovered from a domestic and agro-industrial unit located in the Archaeological Area of Cercadilla, in the outskirts of madinah Qurṭuba, that was inhabited during the 12th century. The data source is twofold: on the one hand, a sample of animal bones from a closed context identified as food refuse; on the other, a pierced right scallop shell from a living floor. The high frequency of pig remains indicates the consumption of pork, a behavior that implies a transgression of the main dietary rule of the Islamic orthopraxis, whereas the scallop was identified as a pilgrim shell linked to the symbolic sphere of the medieval Christian world. Both results, along with the occupational history of Cercadilla, allow to suggest the Christian identity of this community, enriching our conception of the social landscape during the late Andalusi period.