The Role of Wild Animals in Antiquity: Deer in Arts and Crafts in the Late Antique Provinces of Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea

The exploitation of animal raw materials (bone, antler, mollusc shells, teeth, ivory) was an important part of arts and crafts during the Roman period in Europe: they were used for making daily objects, such as tools (needles, spindles, awls…), parts of composite objects (hinges, handles…), as well as personal cosmetic, medicine and decorative items (spatulae, decorative pins, appliqués, etc.), and even very fine crafted objects, such as figurative scenes used for the decoration of boxes or other furniture pieces. Within large territories that were part of the Roman Empire, there were significant local differences in bone vs. antler ratios. In the Central Balkans (parts of the Late Roman provinces of Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea), antlers were widely used, especially in Late Antiquity, suggesting planned, systematic exploitation of available wild resources. This may be related not only to the local environment, but also to the local traditions and cultural preferences. In addition, we noted the presence of deer in the visual arts, suggesting that certain symbolic values were assigned to them. In this paper, an overview of the usage of antlers as raw materials in arts and craft production will be provided, complemented by the presence of deer in artistic representations.