E-Lecture: From Field to Plate
Stephanie Emra (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna)
This short lecture gives a case study from the Early Bronze Age site of Çukuriçi Höyük, in western Anatolia, to discuss the interpretative use of animal bones in prehistory. Çukuriçi Höyük is a tell site first settled in the Early Neolithic. Occupation then continues into the Late Neolithic, and, after a hiatus, is again settled in the late Chalcolithic and later abandoned after the Early Bronze Age I (2,900–2,750 calBC). The excavations in the EBA I settlement revealed early and abundant metal production activities across the excavated site.
In particular this lecture focus on an unusual assemblage of bones found within Room 53 on the site. This concentration of bones is mainly made up of sheep and goat bones from young individuals, and were found in an undisturbed, well-preserved, and often articulated state. How this assemblage should be interpreted in terms of the nature of the deposition and the wider implications for settlement is then considered. The role of sheep and goat both economically and socially is then explored looking at herd-management strategies, culturally contingent food preferences and butchery and cooking practices.