On Sat, 24 Feb 2001 12:50:20 +0300, Phosphor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>  Roman soldiers lived
>on millet, wheat bread, and beans.
>
>On the other hand, celtic and germanic tribes lived predominntly on meat
>and
>dairy, with bread forming a minor part.

Not far away here we have a celtic oppidum (capital city) beeing excavated
(Manching). 1/4 of the area is excavated. They found millions of bones from
various animals, cattle, pigs, goats sheep and wild game.
The count of animals has been computed, and the amount of meat obtainable
from them. For the 200 years the oppidum existed, with a moderate population
count and the maximum assumtion of meat, it comes to about 6% of calories
from the meat.
The celtic culture like the germanic is a agricultural one. It's always
based on grain and legume, wherever this grows (harsher areas like
semi-deserts and highlands only allow for some herding).
The amount of game available to a settlement  makes it a rarity (no wonder
they liked wild boar like Asterix).
The amount of meat from husbandry in a agriculture without chemics is much
lower than today. Animals get the waste and some "wood" food.
Todays meat production is only possible by massive usage of chemical
fertilized and poisoned crop agriculture and imports from large areas of
from the "3rd" world.

Tacitus reports from some "germanic" tribes which he describes like
gatherhunting people (not willing to plant something, but living from the
woods).
He names them "Fennen". Sounds like he ment Finns of today.
Far north.

Regards, Amadeus S.