Άστακός / astacus or καμμάρος / cammarus

marinus:

Crayfish and Lobsters in the Black Sea, Propontis and the

Ancient Mediterranean

Evgeni I. PAUNOV, PhD Sofia History Museum,

Sofia, Bulgaria

Highlights of this presentation

Crayfish and lobsters – problems of terminology and identification

Written evidence – the ancient sources Numismatic evidence – the coins

Apollonia Pontike, Thrace Astakos, Bithynia Astakos, Akarnania Parion and Priapos, Mysia Kranaos, Caria Magna Graecia: Katane, Akragas, Selinus, Solos, Panormos,

Tarent. Importance of crustacean as a food source and

economic role Nutrition facts An attempt at conclusion.

Terminology A clear distinction between crayfish (still water) or

lobster/languste (marine). Refs: Hart & Clark 1987, 1989; Koutrakis et alii 2007; Koutrakis et alii 2009,

etc. - Crayfish/ crawfish (English) – astacus astacus (Antropoda, Crustacea, Decapoda, Astacidae) = écrevisse, crevette d’eau (French) = Edelkrebs (German) = astice (Italian) = istakoz (Turkish) = речной рак (Russian) = речен/езерен рак (Bulgarian). Up to 12-16 cm in length.

Astacus leptodactylus (narrow-clawed crayfish) – “Turkish Crayfish”, “Galician crayfish”, or “Danube crayfish” – imported in Europe from the Caspian Sea and the Northern Black Sea area.

Astacus torrentium – “stone crayfish” in rivers, extremely rare in Europe.

Astacus pachypus – ”Caspian crayfish” in the Caspian Sea, the Don river, and parts of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, where it lives in salinities of up to 14‰.

- “Common”(spiny, cape) lobster, sea crayfish (English) – Homarus gammarus (Antropoda, Decapoda, Nephropidae) – homard (French) = Meerkrebs; Hummer (German) = humarus, gambero (Italian) = oма́ры (Russian) = омар (Bulgarian). In all oceans, around British Isles, fjords in Norway, in the Mediterranean, and in southern Black sea. 30-60 cm,1-6 kilos.

The ancient written sources A distinction between crayfish (still water) or lobster

(marine) was not clearly made by the ancient authors.

ἀστακóς (astakós) / astacus – both for freshwater crayfish and European lobsters:

Philyll. 13; Arist. HA 526a 11; 530a, 28 (‘lived in rivers’); Matro Conv. 66; Archestr. Fr. 24.1.

καραβoς (kárabos) – very similar, but was used for spiny lobster:

Main source is Aristoteles, Historiae Animalium, 530a, 30-33 (“those animals without claws”);

Aelian, De Natura Animalium 4.10 (cf. Liddel-Scott entry). 

κάμμαρος / cammarus marinus: Varro, Rerum rusticarum 3.11.3; Columella, Res rustica 8.15.6; Martial, Epigramata 2.43.12; Juvenal 5.84; Pliny, HN 1.63; 27.9,32.148; Cf. Isid. Orig. 12.8.9.

The Evidence

.

1. Apollonia Pontike (today’s Sozopol on the Western Black Sea, Bulgaria), established ca. 611/10 BC by

Milesian colonists.

Location of Apollonia Pontike – map and aerial photos.

Numismatic Evidence

.

1. Apollonia Pontike

City-emblems (‘parasemon’) of Apollonia were an inverted wooden anchor, presented with the stock below and curved blades on the top, usually called ‘Ankerwappen’, and a crayfish.

Numismatic Evidence

.

1. Apollonia PontikeThe crayfish appears on Apollonian coins for the first

time ca. 480 BC

Drachm/siglos? (4.28g), ca.480 BC

Silver tridrachm (9.76g), ca. 450-440 BC

Drachm (3.49g), ca. 480-60 BC

Reduced drachm (2.57g), ca. 400-380 BCDrachm (3.28 g), ca. 440-

400 BC

Numismatic Evidence

.

1. Apollonia Pontike

And the crayfish remains unchanged on coins for next 200 years ca. 300 BC

UNIQUE gold stater (8.53g), ca. 380 BC

Bronze coin, AE 20mm (5.6 g), ca. 360-340 BC

AE coin, 19mm (4.7 g), ca. 340-300 BC, countermark:

crayfish

AE, 12mm (2.1g), ca. 340-300 BCDiobol, 11mm (1.13g), ca.360-

340 BC

Numismatic Evidence 1. Apollonia Pontike

Crayfish on silver tetradrachms, ca. 380–342/1 BC – 36 issues, 35 magistrate names

ΛΥKΟΣ ΠΟΛΥANAΞ

ΖΩΠΥΡOΣ “2”

[E]PMΩNAΞ /KΛEANAΞ(?)

ΖΩΠΥΡOΣ “1”

EKATAΙΟΣ (1)

AΔΡΗΣΤΟΣ ΛIXA

Numismatic Evidence

2. Astakos/ Astacus, Bithynia

Crayfish shown on silver diobols, triobols, and drachms, ca. 450–400/380 BC

Numismatic Evidence

2. Parion, Mysia

3. Priapos, Mysia

Crayfish on bronze coins, ca. 300–200 BC, as a main city symbol (‘parasemon’)

Silver hemidrachm (2.18g), ca. 350 BC, as an additional symbol.

Numismatic Evidence

4. Kranaos, Karia

5. Astakos, Akarnania

Crayfish on staters (Corinthian type), ca. 360–330 BC, as an additional symbol.

Crayfish on bronzes (AE11 mm), ca. 300-280 BC (Walker, SM 112 (1978), pp. 86-88), as an

additional symbol.

Numismatic Evidence

6. Magna Graecia

Akragas, Æ litra, ca.425-6 BC,10.99g.Himera, ca. 412-9 BC, Æ 12mm, 1.59g.

Katane, ca. 410-5 BC, AR tetradrachm,17.36 g,

signed by the engraver Euainetos.

Katane, ca. 405-2 BC, tetradrachm,17.36 g, Tetradrachm 17.18g, signed by Herakleides.

Selinus, 417-409 BC, Tetradrachm,16.89g

Solus, ca. 400-350 BC, Æ Hemilitron, 21mm, 5.31 g.

Panormos, ca. 405-380 BC, Tetradrachm, 16.95g.

Crustacean – nutrition facts

Crayfishes and Lobsters From a dietary point of view the crayfish provides the highest level in proteins and minerals (by weight), more than any other type of fish or marine animals, surpassing the nutritional value of milk, and in particular - calcium.

At attempt at some conclusions Crayfish (stillwater) or lobsters (marine)? – still uncertain

identification as shown on ancient Greek coins – not a communis opinio reached so far.Ancient sources does not provide a definitive evidence about the nature of specie; In the case of Apollonia Pontike – most probably a local (marine?) specie represented; The symbolism of crayfish/lobsters at Apollonia Pontike – used as a city’s parasemon along with anchor for about 200 years; It cannot be regarded as a ‘pun’ of the city and connected with the Thracian area ‘Astike’ ( as suggested in J. Hind 1982, 90-92; this a pure coincidence - linguistic speculation); Export of local crayfish/lobsters from Apollonia to outside markets – to Byzantium, Ephesus, Miletus, Athens, etc. The importance of the crustaceans as an ancient food source – luxury food (e.g. Athens); The economic role оf crayfish/lobsters for the ancient cities in the Black Sea, Propontis and Meditteranean.

Thanks My warm gratitude to Professor Dr. Klaus Geus and the organizers of this conference (Arbeitsbereich Historische Geographie des antiken Mittelmeerraumes, the Ernst Kirsten Gesellschaft, Kartenabteilung der Staatsbibliothek Berlin and Deutschen Wasserhistorischen Gesellschaft) for accepting my proposal and inviting me in Berlin.

Thank you for your attention