The Zooarchaeology of the Late Neolithic Strymon River Valley. The case of the Greek sector of Promachon–Topolniča in Macedo-nia, Greece

George Kazantzis

City: Oxford

Year: 2018

Publisher: BAR Publishing

Series: BAR International Series 2908

Abstract

Excavations on the border between Greece (sector Promachon) and Bulgaria (sector Topolniča) in the basin of the river Strymonas, in Macedonia northern Greece, have revealed a ‘flat-extended’ settlement dating to the Late Neolithic. In addition to the rich array of material culture evidence, the excavation yielded a substantial quantity of animal bones, thus offering an unparalleled opportunity to study the human-animal relationships. This book focuses on the study of the faunal assemblage from the Greek sector of Promachon, and examines the role and the contribution of domestic and wild animals in subsistence. This information is especially valuable considering the scarcity of faunal data from contemporary settlements across the basin of the Strymonas during a time period (the 5th millennium BC) that is considered one of the most dynamic eras in the prehistory of southeastern Europe. This study also clarifies trends in animal management at both the micro and the macro scales, through a detailed comparison of faunal data between Promachon and other contemporary sites from northern Greece and the Balkan regions.

Contents

List of Figures [ix]

List of Tables [xiii]

Abstract [xix]

Chapter 1: Prologue [1]

1.1 The Neolithic [1]

1.2 The Neolithic of Macedonia [1]

Chapter 2 The Site [5]

2.1 Location [5]

2.2 History of the research [5]

2.3 The excavation on Promachon sector [6]

2.4 Absolute dating [10]

2.5 Material culture evidence [11]

Chapter 3 State of the Art and Aims [14]

3.1 Zooarchaeology in Greece [14]

3.2 Faunal studies in Neolithic Macedonia [14]

3.3 Pilot study and doctoral research: two sides of the same coin [17]

3.4 Aims [17]

Chapter 4 Methods and Analytical Techniques [19]

4.1 Methodological considerations [19]

4.2 Identifi cation (challenges) [19]

4.3 The recording protocol [19]

4.4 Quantifying the faunal material [21]

4.5 Ageing and sexing [21]

4.6 Pathology, gnawing, burning and butchery [24]

Chapter 5 Results [25]

5.1 Breakdown of the faunal material [25]

5.2 Agents affecting the faunal assemblage [26]

5.3 Taxa representation [37]

5.4 The human agent: butchery and burning [43]

5.5 Body part distribution [53]

5.6 Contextual distribution [63]

5.7 Age-at-death of the three main domesticates [80]

5.8 Sexing… [93]

5.9 Intra-site analysis [96]

5.10 Pathologies [107]

5.11 Metrical analysis [108]

Chapter 6 Contextualizing Promachon [137]

6.1 From local to regional: assessing the risks and the incompatibilities [137]

6.2 The domestic and the agrion [137]

6.3 Age-at-death of the main domesticates [143]

6.4 Metrical analysis [151]

Chapter 7 Synthesis [165]

7.1 Putting together the evidence [165]

7.2 Economic considerations [165]

7.3 Social and symbolic considerations [167]

7.4 Use of space and chronological development [170]

Chapter 8 Epilogue [175]

Bibliography [177]

Appendix: Animal Bone Material [191]