The Bronze Age and Dacian Fauna from New Excavations at Pecica “şanţul Mare”

Recent excavations at Pecica Şanţul Mare from 2006-2009 have produced a large and representative faunal assemblage from Dacian and Bronze Age contexts. In both periods, livestock husbandry was by far the most important source of meat, with hunting and trapping game, F shing, and collecting mollusks contributing secondarily. However, there are signiF cant diw erences between Iron and Bronze Age animal economies. Dacian animal husbandry was centered on pig rearing. A substantial number of the pigs were sucklings, suggesting the presence of a relatively specialized, rapid-turnover husbandry system of locally produced meat. Smaller numbers of caprines and cattle were also raised, both being used primarily for meat rather than dairy, wool, or traction. Horses and chickens are infrequent. Few game mammals were consumed but there are a fair number of F sh, particularly carp, and many freshwater mussels. $ e Bronze Age population at Pecica were similarly reliant on animal husbandry, but were far less focused on a single domesticate. In general, caprines were the most common livestock, followed closely by pigs and cattle. $ ere is no evidence of specialized secondary products production. Large game hunting was more important than in the Iron Age and C shing was less common. Several important changes occurred during the Bronze Age occupation. More high value livestock are being produced in the earlier D/E habitation layers, particularly horses. $ rough time, smaller-bodied livestock like caprines and pigs become more common, as do low-ranked wild resources. ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XIX, 2011 80 Diw erences in animal management and consumption practices are highlighted between the Iron and Bronze Age occupations, as well as changes occurring within the later portion of the Bronze Age occupation, speciF cally between the later B-C layer settlement and the more intensely occupied D-E contexts. A more detailed account of site stratigraphy, dating, and excavation history is presented elsewhere. Taxon abundance Patterns of major faunal class representation indicate the relative importance of animal husbandry compared to hunting and trapping game, F shing, and collecting mollusks. In all periods, livestock production is the most important sector of the animal economy, contributing between 52–66% of the faunal remains identiF able to family or better (Figure 1). While freshwater mussels are the next most common numerically, they certainly contributed only a minor portion of the diet given the small amount of meat per individual. Shells can also be used as p ux in smelting or for lime production, so it cannot be assumed that the mollusk remains were solely food debris. Game mammals, predominantly red deer, were the second largest meat source behind domesticates. Other important large game species are roe deer, boar, and aurochs. A variety of fur-bearing animals are also present in small numbers. Fish (mostly carp family), birds, and turtles were relatively infrequent additions to the diet. Overall, relative taxon abundance is similar between periods, but there are several signiF cant diw erences as well. Domesticates occur in roughly the same proportions in Iron and Bronze Age contexts on the whole, although there are relatively fewer livestock compared to wild resources in the later Bronze Age layers (B-C contexts). When mollusk harvesting is excluded, the diw erences in the proportion of wild versus managed animals are only minimal. m e most striking temporal changes actually occur in the importance of hunting compared to F shing. In the Dacian deposits, F sh are nearly three times as common as in the Bronze Age, varying inversely with the number of wild mammals. Most of the Bronze Age bird remains are probably waterfowl while including F sh and smaller mammalian bones. As a result, the hand collected assemblage has an ey cient recovery rate and is taken to be largely representative. Note also that the material from the platform feature (layer D0) is considered separately given the uncertain origin of its redeposited contents. 4 O'Shea et alii 2011. domestic chicken is present in the Dacian material. Turtle bone was recovered from only the Bronze Age B and C layers. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%