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[What did pigs look like in the Middle Ages?]
1Institut für Tierernährung, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover.
DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift
|February 16, 2006
Summary
Medieval pigs were primarily depicted as long-legged, slender, and bristly, suited for forest herding. Regional variations showed more compact pigs, likely due to different environments and feeding practices.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural History
- Animal Science
- Art History
Context:
- Limited written and osteological records exist for medieval swine conformation.
- Artistic depictions offer a valuable, albeit indirect, source of information on historical livestock.
Purpose:
- To analyze the physical characteristics of medieval pigs based on visual evidence from various medieval artworks.
- To identify regional variations in pig conformation during the Middle Ages.
Summary:
- Analysis of approximately 140 images reveals medieval pigs were typically long-legged, slender, razor-backed, bristly, with long snouts and erect ears, indicating adaptation to forest environments.
- In contrast, Mediterranean regions and parts of France and England depicted more compact pigs with shorter snouts and drooping ears, suggesting different husbandry practices like stall-feeding.
- Pig coloration included solid white, grey, black, and red, with saddle-back patterns noted in Italian and South German art.
Impact:
- This study enhances our understanding of medieval livestock diversity and husbandry.
- Visual evidence provides crucial insights into animal conformation where other data is scarce.
- Highlights the influence of environmental and feeding conditions on animal morphology in historical contexts.
