Fishery Activities in the Byzantine Period and Fish Species in Mosaics

In many civilizations, food provided by water sources is one of nutritional sources for human. Different fish species and water products such as lobster, crab, octopus and snail were caught with nets, harpoons and baskets covered by leaves and branches in the Byzantine Era. Activities of fishermen in the guild system, organization of the fish markets, competition and the impact of the individual enterprise are available. Both fish and some sea animals were used not just in the Byzantine cuisine but also in mining, pottery and textiles as well as in mosaics as a religious symbol. Considering the fisheries activities during the Byzantine period, the current study revealed that feeding fish in garden pools in Byzantium reflected to the aquarium fishery in today's context. Furthermore the effort on keeping the fish together improved feeding techniques, and supported the fundamental principles of aquaculture.