All societies include some type of animal protein in their diets. Environmental and economic factors determine success in obtaining this preferred food. At Presidio Santa MarÃa de Galve, established by Spain in 1698 as a defensive outpost on Pensacola Bay, the socially-stratified and ethnically diverse population could not overcome the constraints of their surroundings and were consistently short of meat and other foodstuffs. Historical documents and faunal remains from this community are examined to determine the character and extent of their deprivation. Comparison of subsistence information from the Presidio is then made to two other contemporary Spanish settlements in Florida, St. Augustine, and Mission San Luis de Talimali.
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