The domestic pig is considered to be one of the earliest domestic animals, along with cattle, sheep and goats. In the meantime it is assured that about 8500 BC was begun with domestication; and this in several regions of the world independently of each other! Although the early "domestic pigs" resembled their wild ancestors for a very long time - namely until the middle of the nineteenth century - the human were able to retrospectively at least some early breeding activities, resulting in a regional and causal accumulation distinguishable varieties and offshoots.
One of the first demonstrable breeding efforts of humans led to the formation of a line, which is referred in the literature as a Roman or Celtic Iberian pig. Its descendants include Iberico, Porco Celta and Alentejana, which are still found on the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the breeds Périgord (FRA), Samolace (ITA) and Bündner or Veltliner (SUI/ITA), completely extinct or reduced until relict populations around the middle of the 20th century. The figures can thus also be used in modern 1/72-dioramas with a corresponding region of occurence. For the historical model builder the figures are suitable for use in depictions referring to the Roman provinces Italia and Tarraconensis (from ~ 250 BC ~ ~ 500), the Roman provinces Narbonensis and Raetia (from ~ 100 ~ ~ 500) and later in the areas of South France, Switzerland and Northern Italy from ~ 500 to around 1950.
The origins of my figures are medium-sized animals with shoulder heights of 70 - 80 cm.
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Last but not least, i would like to give a small outlook on my interpretation of a second line, the big, lop-eared Celtic-Germanic pig. These animals, which were about 1 meter high and up to 2 meters long, were more typical for Central and Northern Europe - but more on that later. In the attached photo, the size difference between the Romanesque and a Celtic-Germanic pig can be quite well understood.