Rural Agricultural Economies and Military Provisioning at Roman Gordion (Central Turkey)

Roman Gordion, the only excavated rural military settlement in a pacified Roman territory, reveals a nuanced agricultural economy where the garrison adapted to local farming while maintaining traditional meat preferences. Archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analyses show economic interdependence with local farmers, self-sufficiency in pork and chicken production, and complex relationships with autonomous sheep and goat herders. The Roman military's control was limited to specific sectors like cereal farming, leaving sheep and goat herding systems unchanged for market or taxation purposes. A new pig husbandry system emerged, distinguishing Gordion from contemporary non-military settlements.

Çakırlar, C., & Marston, J. M. (2017). Rural Agricultural Economies and Military Provisioning at Roman Gordion (Central Turkey). Environmental Archaeology, 24(1), 91–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/14614103.2017.1385890