Le canard colvert (Anas platyrhynchos L.) : une espèce domestique dont l'homme a souhaité conserver le caractère sauvage ?

Résumé En Fr

The most hunted and consumed wild animals through history have not always been domesticated. This may seem paradoxical for a strictly functional point of view. Process of domestication involves for human societies who practice this farm a drastic change of the relation between men and animals. It seems that some species have had to maintain their wild appearance and the status of game, even a strong population management and hunting space having been taken, or even parallel breeding attempts have been made. In view of the synthesis of zooarchaeological data on very long, this seems particularly evident for mallard (Anas platyrhynchos L.). This duck has marked sexual dimorphism and is very common on archaeological sites since the Paleolithic to the Modern period, and from Middle East to the West side of Europe. Osteometric clue, composition of avian spectra, proportions of leftover mallard and age structure suggest that the animal was often hunted and that its presence in the farmyard with poultry is one-off initiatives and discontinuous of livestock. This hypothesis is similar to that which was made by Vigne (1993 : 201-220) about the red deer (Cervus elaphus L.).

D'après les données archéozoologiques, le colvert fait partie des espèces aviaires les plus chassées et les plus consommées par les différentes sociétés d'Europe et du Proche-Orient durant la Préhistoire. Gibier de prédilection, l'oiseau n'a pas pour autant fait l'objet de tentatives de domestication systématique avant la fin du Moyen-âge. Nous allons tenter de donner une explication à ce phénomène.