Foodways at a Colonial Military Frontier Outpost in Northern New Spain: The Faunal Assemblage from Presidio San Sabá, 1757–1772

Fradkin, Arlene; Walter, Tamra L.

doi:10.1007/s41636-018-0112-0

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…At San Saba in Texas, the constant threat of raiding made resupply unreliable, limited gardening to areas within the presidio walls, and led to malnutrition. Faunal remains from San Saba indicate that about 18% of meat was supplied by wild animals (Fradkin and Walter 2018). Wild animals contributed even less to diets in the Pimería Alta, located in the Sonoran Desert.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Live cattle were herded to fortifications for on-site butchery and salted or smoked if barrels were not available (Forbes 1938c). Some forts maintained their own fields and herds of livestock, with the Spanish presidios being the most successful (Breitburg 1983;Fradkin and Walter 2018;Parmalee 1960). Spruce beer and gardens provided fresh greens and prevented scurvy (Coe 2006;Kopperman 2007).…”

Section: The Challenges Of Military Provisioning Across a Continentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Army Marches on Its Stomach: Comparing Military Provisioning across North American Sixteenth- to Nineteenth-Century Forts

Welker

Mathwich

2023

Am. Antiq.

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Military garrisons in North America were provisioned with a diet based primarily on domesticates. A relationship between colonial diets and nationality has been an assumed truism, encouraging the belief that colonial diets were static and predetermined by European norms and leading to devaluation of colonists’ adaptability and agency. We challenge that perspective using zooarchaeological data on soldiers’ diets at 49 American fortifications in North America. Statistical comparisons reveal that some sites relied heavily on provisioned livestock, while others did not. Dietary patterns were significantly impacted by accessibility, length of occupation, garrison size, and local infrastructure. This evidence suggests that reliance on wild game was an adaptive response to local environmental and cultural factors influencing the accessibility of preferred domesticates, regardless of nationality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%