The Early History of the Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) in the Czech Republic
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Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00891-8 ORIGINAL PAPER The early history of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Czech Republic René Kyselý1 & Petr Meduna2 Received: 11 October 2018 /Accepted: 20 June 2019 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract The article evaluates all early archaeological osteological finds of turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) dated to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries AD in what is today the Czech Republic and offers an analysis and discussion of written historical sources. Altogether, 45 bones of turkey (Meleagris) from ten archaeological sites and a further six bones probably also of turkey (cf. Meleagris) are known from both sub-regions of the Czech Republic, that is, Bohemia and Moravia, and from a variety of contexts. Many of the bones originate from contexts of high social status (especially those from Prague Castle); interestingly, four of the ten contexts represent a clerical or monastic setting. The extensive sample from a range of geographical and socio- cultural contexts enables various analyses. Osteometrically, the early Czech turkeys, which probably weighed between 3 and 9 kg, resemble their wild ancestor. The management of breeding and slaughtering is reflected in the variety of ages and sexes. Cut marks undoubtedly suggest butchering and subsequent eating. The written sources from the end of the sixteenth and in the seventeenth century prove that turkey was on the menu of those of high social class, which we see from the earliest reliable written Czech record from 1578, which describes a festal menu for the wedding of Vilém of Rožmberk (Rosenberg), one of the most powerful men in Bohemia. Different sources suggest that either 450 or 600 turkeys were served at the feast. From as early as 1583, we have a written record, although an isolated one, which suggests the early spread of the turkey into the rural environment and among the lower nobility. Considering archaeological dating, historical records from 1578, and their absence from earlier records, the domestic turkey was probably introduced to and spread across the Czech lands as late as between the 50s and 80s of the sixteenth century. The history of the peacock—although later it would be replaced on the dining table by turkey—is longer; the first written record of its being bred in Bohemia dates from around 1125–1140. According to other records, the pheasant, another imported Galliform bird, was known in Bohemia in 1330. The keeping of the wild form of turkey is documented much later; certainly in 1801, but very probably already in 1781. Keywords Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) . Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) . Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) . Bone finds . Osteometry . Diet . Historical sources Introduction: turkey in a wider context Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00891-8) contains supplementary The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a large Galliform bird, was material, which is available to authorized users. domesticated or semi-domesticated before Christopher Columbus reached America; several subspecies of its wild * René Kyselý [email protected] ancestor were spread across a large area from southern Canada to southern Mexico (Crawford 1984, 1992; Petr Meduna Thornton 2016). Later—like the Muscovy duck, another do- [email protected] mestic bird of American origin—it spread across the world to become a significant source of domestic poultry in many 1 Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, countries. The turkey was brought to Europe quite soon after v.v.i., Letenská 4, 118 01 Prague, Czech Republic the discovery of the Americas by Europeans. It is supposed 2 Center for Theoretical Study, Joint Research Institute of Charles first to have been introduced into Spain, and later spread to the University and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, 110 other royal houses of Europe. The first reliable written 00 Prague, Czech Republic Archaeol Anthropol Sci reference to the turkey in Spain is from 1511 and in England particularly descriptions of the menus (the carte du jour) from 1541, although earlier references have also been sug- from the tables of the higher social classes. In an early gested (1497 in England, 1498 in Spain, and other dates) study, Kokeš (1974) suggested the likely presence of tur- (Kokeš 1974;Crawford1984, 1992;LefèvreandMarinval- key in central Europe as early as 1534, but we have found Vigne 1992; Plouvier 1995; Serjeantson 2009; Yalden and no support for such an early date in written records from Albarella 2009;Poole2010; Corona-M. 2013). A white feath- Czech history, and the date probably refers to the founda- er from one of the earliest turkeys imported into Italy in the tion of the Royal Garden at Prague Castle by Ferdinand I sixteenth century suggests the keeping of fully domesticated where the turkeys were kept, but obviously much later (cf. birds (Serjeantson 2009, 290). The earliest mention in France “house for Indian birds” from 1601, see below). The first is from 1534 (Serjeantson 2009, 290). In the mid-sixteenth completely reliable record refers to the year 1578, when, century, the turkey spread rapidly across the western regions depending on the source, either 450 or 600 (!) turkeys were of Europe (Zeuner 1963;Crawford1984, 1992). It is said to used in a huge banquet in Český Krumlov, South Bohemia, have been practically unknown in Germany before 1530, but for the marriage of Vilém of Rožmberk (Rosenberg), one by 1571, flocks were being reared on the Lower Rhine of the most powerful men in Bohemia and a candidate for (Zeuner 1963, 459). Its arrival in western, central and northern the Polish throne, to Anna Maria of Baden (Winter 1892, Europe as early as the sixteenth century is also confirmed by 80; Beranová 2007, 230–231). In 1587, at another wedding archaeological osteological finds from Britain (Albarella and feast for this aristocrat, 200 turkeys were served (Winter Thomas 2002;Poole2010), Hungary (Bartosiewicz and Gál 1892, 80). Although these two early cases may represent 2018), Germany (Benecke 1994a, 1994b;Küchelmann2014) brought animals, the frequency of further written evidence and Sweden (Tyrberg 2002). Later finds are documented in (see below) suggests that the bird was well known, and its other countries of central Europe such as Austria (seventeenth breedingprobablywellestablishedintheregioninthelast century; Adam and Kunst 1999) and Slovakia (tentatively quarter of the sixteenth century. However surprising these dated to the eighteenth century; Bielichová et al. 2019). The large numbers may appear, these particular turkeys com- earliest osteo-archaeological record from Germany is dated to prised only a small fraction (1.2% and 2.6% respectively) the first half of the sixteenth century (Benecke 1994a,188– of the total number of birds consumed at each feast 189, 381, tab. 51; 1994b, 392–394). These early imports in all (49,680 at the first; 7630 at the second). In the same year likelihood originated in Mexico; any potential imports from (1587), Stanislav Pavlovský, the bishop of Olomouc, North America could not have begun until at least the seven- hosted Prince Maximilian (the future emperor) in Vyškov teenth century, after that territory had been colonised. in Moravia, where five turkeys were served. This Problems surrounding the analysis of the introduction and accounted for almost half (45%) of the 11 birds consumed breeding of the turkey are complicated by the fact that not at the feast (Havlová 2009, 80). It is no surprise that tur- only domesticated birds, but also wild turkeys might have keys appeared in the court of Emperor Rudolf II Habsburg, been brought from America, but it is believed that the earliest as he is known for having been a collector of various exotic European archaeological finds represent the bred species at Prague Castle (such as lions, tigers, cheetahs, (domesticated) form, especially those finds located far from wisents, flamingos, ostriches, parrots, dodo, etc.). In the places of original importation. 1600, the emperor sent an unknown number of these birds, Although the basic scenario is well known, further details and others, to the ambassador of Florence (Havlová 2009, concerning the bird’s regional history are rare and very much 46). A year later, a special house for Indian birds is docu- needed. In this paper, we present an analysis of the early his- mented in the Royal Garden at Prague Castle (Bašeová tory of the turkey in the Czech lands based on archaeological 1991, 37), where they were presumably used as decorative osteological evidence and written sources. The paper provides birds. This was undoubtedly a house for turkeys since the a complete review of Czech osteological finds, including ma- turkey was called the “Indian”, “Indian bird” or “Indian terial yet to be published. cock” (in Czech, “indián”, “indiánský pták”, “indiánská slepice”, “indiánský kot”) in the Czech lands in the Early Modern Ages (Beranová 2007, 96). The locality Prague Historical records of the domestic turkey Castle–Riding School (Table 1) is close to this house and in the Czech lands and related topics to the pheasantry of Rudolf II, founded before 1600, so there could be some connection. Nonetheless, during the The earliest records of the domestic turkey, the “bird Rudolf’s reign, their presence was something of an excep- of the rich” tion; in the financial records of the imperial estates from the years 1603–1702,