Archaeozoology of the Zvyagino-4 settlement of the Alakul Culture in the context of different cultural deposits
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4692048 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Irina P Alaeva (0000-0001-8322-5835, corresponding author), A Yu Rassadnikov (0000-0002-3772-303X, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of History) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Issue | 2(69 |
| Pages | 42-57 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Vestnik arheologii, antropologii i ètnografii (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1811-7465 • E-ISSN: 2071-0437 |
| Publisher | Tyumen Scientific Center of the SB RAS (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.20874/2071-0437-2025-69-2-4 |
| OpenAlex | W4411188879 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 14 |
This work is dedicated to the discussion of results of the study of archeozoological collection from the set-tlement of Zvyagino-4 (18th-17th centuries BC) of the Alakul Culture in the forest-steppe part of the Southern Trans-Urals. The paper presents the results of a basic archaeozoological study and provides the characteristics of the herd of domestic animals. A contextual analysis of animal bones from different layers of the site has been carried out. The complex of bones identifiable to the species is represented almost entirely by domestic ungu-lates. Cattle bones constitute 49 % of the assemblage, small cattle bones - 41 %, horse bones are in third place in terms of number - 6.7 %. The analysis of bone age markers reveals the presence of all age groups of live-stock within the settlement - from embryos/newborns to very old individuals. This may indicate both a full cycle of livestock breeding and comprehensive livestock management. For cattle, the main peak of slaughter was re-corded approximately within the age of 2.5-3 years, and for small cattle - within 1-2 years, which, of course, can be interpreted as a reflection of intensive meat exploitation of livestock, regardless of the sex of the animals. The quantitative ratio of animal species from different strata of the settlement did not provide significant variations, which indicates a common origin of the bones, and is associated with the kitchen waste of the Alakul population. At the same time, the comparative analysis of bones from different contexts revealed a significant difference in modification changes and bone fragmentation: a high degree of fragmentation of the material and the largest number of bones with thermal treatment have been recorded within the ashpit contents. The contextual analysis of the osteological collection of the Zvyagino-4 settlement suggests that the bone material from the ashpit layer underwent a special selection associated with grinding and overburning procedure
Archaeology · Biology · Geography · Herd · Livestock · Pastoralism · Population · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Steppe · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Ecology · Forestry
A guide to the measurement of animal bones from archaeological sites
“Steppe Corridors” of Alakul Pastoralists
Articular depressions in domestic cattle phalanges and their archaeological relevance
Bone pathologies of modern caprines (Ovis aries & Capra hircus) in the context of the pasture-stall system of the steppe zone of the South Urals
Bone pathologies of modern non-draft cattle (Bos Taurus) in the context of grazing systems and environmental influences in the South Urals, Russia
Assessing the reliability of criteria used to identify postcranial bones in sheep, Ovis, and goats, Capra
Assessing the reliability of criteria used to identify mandibles and mandibular teeth in sheep, Ovis, and goats, Capra
Joint health in free-ranging and confined small bovids - Implications for early stage caprine management
Results of Archaeozoological Studies in the Settlements of Bol'shaya Berezovaya-2, Malaya Berezovaya-4 and Aleksandro-Nevskoye-Ii in the Southern Trans-Urals
New Data Obtained on the Archaeozoology of the Alakul Population From the Middle Tobol Area Drawing on the Excavation Materials From the Zolotoye 1 Settlement
Seasonal pattern of domestic cattle slaughtering in the Late Bronze Age Tanalyk settlement (Southern Ural)
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |